Phantom Tutor
by axervii
Summary: AU. As the number one middle school in Tokyo, Teikou Junior High has established an external school organization called Student Teachers Association (STA) to aid other schools in their academic affairs. Kuroko Tetsuya had enlisted his name as a volunteer and is assigned in Namimori to tutor two students for a month. One of which is the Vongola Decimo.
1. Act of Will I

**AN**: Hello readers! Another new story. Actually, I wasn't planning on posting this. But a friend of mine from this fandom who had requested this insisted, despite that I still have other ongoing stories. I don't know if this idea has already been used but I'm going to try my hand on this. Another note is that I tried to be as accurate about this as possible but I still based it on the idea that this is still anime world, despite how I am making this with the real world in mind.

Don't expect this story to be fast-paced because it isn't. I'm taking my time in establishing everything into place.

**Warning(s)**: A little OOC. And there are some OCs that I've used.

**Pairing(s)**: None. I'm going to make this **GEN**.

**Disclaimer**: _I don't own Kuroko no Basuke or Katekyo Hitman Reborn_

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[**Chapter One: Act of Will I**]

* * *

Kuroko had actually forgotten that he had volunteered in the Student Teachers Association, or STA, during his first year.

It had been around the time when he had been planning to quit the basketball club until Aomine had talked him out of it. Though, for his part, he had never been called on. Until now, that was. He and the other third year volunteers were called in the discussion room just a few minutes ago. Now, they were merely waiting for Asahina Setsuna-sensei, the STA Head and Student Councillor, to commence the meeting.

He felt a little out of his depth here, not to mention extremely out of place as well. While the other students were chatting rather enthusiastically, eager about the issue as they obviously knew what it was about, Kuroko had absolutely no idea what he was actually here for.

A while ago, their homeroom teacher had called on specific names and if he hadn't been given a copy of his form, he wouldn't know why he was being called at all.

Teikou Junior High was known as the number one middle school in Tokyo. Whether for its academics or sports field, it always dominated the middle school circuit, especially with a strong-winning philosophy that taught students about how winning was everything and losing was not acceptable. Though, with its high standards and facility, it didn't come without a price. One could consider that it was a school for well-off people.

Kuroko had never told anyone, but he was certain that Akashi knew of it anyway, he had gotten into this school based on an academic scholarship. He just had to make sure that he maintained his grades and he didn't have to worry about how he would continue his study here. It helped that he was also a regular of the basketball club, even without a notable game record, and his life had been admittedly easier when it came to upholding the standards set for him.

Though, the board of directors had established an external school organization in order to better assimilate Teikou in the educational sphere. The Student Teachers Association (STA). Its main goal had been to assist students who had ambitions of teaching or desire to gain experience in this area. Another was because, as the number one institute of aptitude and learning in middle school, they had created the STA structure in order to offer assistance to outside schools that had problematic students when it came to academic matters. It was also a way of assessing other schools' curriculum compared to Teikou in order to improve the educational system of middle school of Japan.

This program and organization had actually been approved and supported by the Ministry of Education in Japan.

Students who were part of STA were volunteers and the school never made it a compulsory. Kuroko knew that there were at least a hundred volunteers from every grade. Of course, those who volunteered had to pass a certain criteria to qualify for the program. One was a high GPA or grade point average. He could still remember that students who had grades lower than 82 were not accepted. Then, there was the matter of subject specialization or general field of study. He had chosen the latter because he didn't see the reason to focus on certain aspects when learning could still branch out to other areas as well.

Another requirement was actually passing an interview and simulation. For his turn, it was actually Yurichiyo-senpai, the person who held the first rank amongst the third years at that time, who interviewed him. For the simulation, it was also her who had played the part of a student.

From what his senior had told him at that time, he passed with flying colours.

It was clear that the volunteers were carefully picked. Either due to the school's reputation or the STA really wanted only those who could actually perform the job to join. Kuroko had signed up because he had been certain that he would be kicked out of the basketball club. If it wasn't basketball, teaching was the closest second he had. After all, he enjoyed those times when he had to tutor Ogiwara whenever they visited each other's houses. And he knew that he didn't really mind helping others out who were facing difficulties in their studies.

But, he didn't quit the basketball club. And he was still part of STA, it seemed.

"Good afternoon, everyone!" An upbeat voice greeted as soon as the door to the discussion room opened.

Kuroko watched as Asahina-sensei bounced into the room with the principal, Souma Yoshinatsu, on her heels. He almost forgot how glaringly cheerful the redheaded Student Councillor was. She was almost as blindingly bright as Kise in that aspect. As a member of the faculty, she had her own quirk. She always liked to dress in elaborate kimonos whenever she was in school and the students always had their eyes on her whenever she was passing by.

He couldn't actually tell if they were in awe or they just found her odd like he did.

Like now, she was garbed in a maroon furisode with golden flowers stitched into the sleeves with a brown silk obi to hold it up. As usual, she was waving that uchiwa fan around as well. For someone of the Japanese origin, she was quite tall at five feet and eleven inches. It didn't help that she wore okobo that only added a few inches to her already tall stature.

"As you all know, everyone in this room are volunteers of the STA program." She started straight to the point as she stood in front of them by the white board, grabbing a marker from the edge of the board, writing 'Student Teachers Association' and underlined it for emphasis. "Some of you volunteered since your first year while others have just joined. STA volunteers are usually called on during their third year in order to assimilate the soon-to-be student teachers with the subjects they might be teaching. No one forced you in this program and you all joined here of your own free will. Now that you are called for your own term, I am going to orient you about the Cultural Internship Function."

Kuroko blinked. Now, that actually explained why he was just called on today. He hadn't read the whole brochure when he had signed up.

Though, at the mention of the 'Cultural Internship Function', the excitement in the air seemed to heighten.

"Some of you may already have an idea about this," Asahina-sensei smiled at them almost motherly. "But, to clarify all matters, I'm going to elaborate on this event. The Cultural Internship Function is held every year for a duration of two months. I know you are excited because most of you get to travel outside of Tokyo, depending on where you are assigned. Each of you would be appointed to a middle school two weeks later on to tutor two to three students who are reported to be having difficulties in class and with a below average GPA."

At this, Kuroko froze.

_Two months_. A duration of two months. Aside from the classes he would miss, he would also fail to attend basketball practice. Something that he could already see Akashi being displeased about. But, on the other hand, he didn't actually get along with his teammates right now. Akashi had switched with the 'other Akashi', so to speak, and his friends were all being distant and intolerable with their conceited attitude with regards to basketball.

To his knowledge, it was now only Midorima and Akashi who regularly showed up at practice. Kise used to do so but he got held up by his modelling career. He couldn't exactly get a hold of Aomine right now and Murasakibara just didn't bother with it at all.

Still, two months was a long time. But… he already volunteered for this. And, maybe this was what he needed to escape the unbearable pressure that seemed to have been part of their club as of now.

"To make it simple, you will be acting as private tutors for two months. If you are ever assigned out of Tokyo or somewhere quite far from your residence, rest assured that the organization and the school have provided you and your will-be partner an apartment to stay, which is already fully accommodated and paid for, and an allowance of ¥100,000 for each month. It will be up to you on how you are going to manage your other necessities," The redheaded woman explained brightly, positively glowing.

The murmurs from earlier got louder at the prospect of living arrangements and allowance.

Though, Kuroko knew that there was a catch, aside from the obvious tutoring that they would be doing for those two months.

"But, aside from tutoring, you still have tasks that are expected from you out of this activity," Asahina-sensei picked up the marker again and wrote 'report'. "First of all, you would be required to make daily reports about the curriculum of the school you were assigned to, about the progress of the tutorial, and your relationship with your students. This is an absolute must. I expect at least an elaborate and accurate account on this one." Her hazel eyes narrowed at them as a hush seemed to have fallen.

She then wrote 'plan' below the 'report'.

"Second, a week before your tutorial would start, you are obliged to submit a lesson plan. Nothing too detailed, just a rundown of what you think would best suit your student and your schedule for the tutorials. And, don't worry about this part. You will be given profiles of your prospective students tomorrow. So, you better study them," She winked at them as she said this, writing 'class' below 'plan'. "And, last but not the least, you shouldn't be worried about the classes you would be missing. The STA has already gotten the approval of the schools that you're designated to. You will also be a temporary student of that school for the duration of two months,"

A hand was raised in the air.

"What about uniforms? Do we have to wear them?" A bespectacled brunette girl asked succinctly.

"Oh, it's good that someone had asked," Asahina-sensei sighed as she put the marker down. "Yes, as an STA volunteer and to establish your status for the Internship, you are required to wear your Teikou uniforms during school days, whether for class or simple tutorial lessons. But, for Saturday lessons, you are free to wear whatever you want and you have your day offs on Sundays," She answered as she took a folder from the principal who remained quiet even up to this point.

Kuroko's head was spinning. It was like he had volunteered for a full-time job from how they made it sound. But, he supposed to make the program successful and to monitor its progress, they needed the student teachers to actually do the evaluations.

Now, he watched with the rest as Asahina-sensei opened the folder and gazed through them.

"I will be now announcing your partners for this activity and they will be your roommates for those two months. The ladies don't have anything to worry about, this is strictly assigned with the same gender in mind to avoid complications," She was quick to assure when it seemed that the female students were going to put up a fight. "Once your name is called, I want you to come out through the back entrance of the room to get the pamphlets for the school that you are going to be assigned. With that, I'll start with Tsukino Iyo and Nanase Kana…"

Kuroko listened very carefully for his name. It seemed that it wasn't alphabetically ordered but merely called at random.

He didn't exactly realize just how many they were until he lost count of the students called on. He was starting to actually tune Asahina-sensei out until he finally heard his name.

"Kuroko Tetsuya and Ihara Shino," She continued through several names as more and more people got called.

When he finally stood up and looked at the wall clock by the back of the classroom, he was startled when he saw that they had been in the room for more than an hour already. Trudging to the back entrance, he saw a boy, whom he assumed to be waiting for him, standing there. He had short but messy black hair and amber eyes that was intently staring at everyone, evidently searching for him. Still, Kuroko noted with dismay that even the boy was taller than him by half a head. He was wearing his uniform in a neat and proper manner, and his posture was a bit stiff that it almost reminded Kuroko of Midorima.

"Are you Ihara Shino?" He asked politely and watched in amusement as the other yelped and stared at him with wide frightened eyes.

"Y-Yes," Ihara Shino stuttered but coughed to cover up his blunder. "I am. I presume that you are Kuroko Tetsuya," He nodded curtly, straightening, acting as if he already knew the answer but was just being equally polite about it.

"Hai," Kuroko nodded.

He watched the other sigh in relief.

"It means you're not a ghost, that's good," Ihara mumbled under his breath. "Well, let's get going and get our designated school. I can only imagine what kind of fools that we're going to be assigned to," He grumbled exasperatedly, more out of trepidation than actual annoyance.

When they got out of the discussion room, there was a booth right beside the doorway.

All they did was sign their names and they were each given a file containing the information about the school they would be temporarily attending two weeks later. Kuroko tilted his head as he read 'Namimori Middle School' which was located in Namimori outside of Tokyo. A small town near Takayama in Gifu Prefecture. It was a long way from Tokyo, not to mention, he had never been there as well.

Looking at Ihara's expression, the other boy was having the same thoughts as him.

"Well, might as well get this over with," Ihara suddenly sighed as he stood in front of Kuroko with a stern look. "Since you and I will be roommates for two months and all we're going to have in those months is each other, I'm going to properly introduce myself. My name is Ihara Shino from class 3-B. I'm actually pretty fine with anything as long as you're not a messy or loud roommate. I'm also the Editor-in-Chief of the Newspaper Guild. I'm allergic to seafood and I prefer sweets. Nice to meet you,"

What the odd thing about the introduction was, Kuroko noted, was that Ihara managed to say it all with a rather serious countenance. As if he was entrusting Kuroko his life.

"I'm Kuroko Tetsuya from class 3-A. I don't exactly have preferences when it comes to roommates but it would be preferable if you're not too loud or clingy. I'm a regular in the basketball club. I don't drink carbonated drinks and I favour any dessert as long as they're vanilla flavoured. Nice to meet you as well, Ihara-kun," Kuroko gave a small bow.

"Oh, I remember you now," Ihara's eyes suddenly turned calculating. "You're that phantom sixth man. Aikawa wrote an article about you but that captain of yours had it taken down before it was even published in the school newspaper," He frowned at this, obviously displeased.

"Akashi-kun did always like having his way," Kuroko couldn't help but admit exasperatedly.

"More like, your team's given too much privilege for being the 'Generation of Miracles'," Ihara rolled his eyes at this as he beckoned Kuroko to walk alongside him. "Don't worry, it's my job to know, especially since I'm the head of the Newspaper Guild. I understand that Teikou values winning above all else but that is just ridiculous. The administration is made up of fools who are too senile by spoiling the children," He shook his head at this.

Instead of being upset, Kuroko was curious about how amused he was by the reaction.

"You don't like them," He found himself commenting, fascinated.

In response to his remark, Ihara scoffed before scowling rather darkly.

"Well, I have a first year writer, Ito Saeko, who tried to have an interview with Midorima Shintarou. I don't know what he said but he sent one of my writers _crying_ back to me. I just can't accept that," The dark haired boy declared strongly. "Not to mention, aside from the fact that it's _our job_ to at least monitor the games, Akashi Seijuurou has been blocking the newspaper from getting actual feed from your team. And no feed means no article. No article means I'm the scapegoat for outraged basketball fans,"

"As much as I want to help, I can't. Akashi-kun listens to no one." Kuroko stated blankly, remembering his captain's current unstable condition.

"I know," Ihara grunted as he crossed his arms. "I just wanted to vent to someone who would understand. And you're the nearest human being who can understand my plight when it comes to your prideful captain," There was no anger or venom or criticism in his tone, it was just delivered matter-of-factly.

What an interesting person. And it was actually a bit refreshing to hear from an outsider's perspective. Not since most of the student body worshipped the Generation of Miracles.

"Well, I need to go back to the office to inform my colleagues about this," Ihara waved as he turned down an intersection. "It was nice meeting you, Kuroko, Aikawa was right. Out of all the members of the regulars, you're actually not quite half-bad," He remarked blandly as he walked off.

"It was actually nice to meet you," Kuroko murmured quietly as he stared at his would-be partner's back.

The STA orientation had gone better than he expected.

Now, the only thing left was to inform Akashi of this development. And it was a conversation that he was not looking forward to.

* * *

He hadn't actually told his captain of the situation yet during afternoon practice yesterday. But he noticed that the redhead was watching him more intently than usual. It was rather hard to shake off but he had survived somehow.

It was now lunch time and Kuroko had just gone back from the Guidance office and got the files of his would-be 'students' so to speak.

He had just briefly skimmed through the names. He had two prospect students. Two of them were in their second year but in different classes. Sawada Tsunayoshi and Kamiyama Takumi. He hadn't fully read their files yet as to what kind of academic assistance they would need. But, the school had recommended these two as one of their 'worst cases' so to speak. Kuroko didn't like generalizing people, especially when it came to intelligence, but he supposed that it would be his job to improve them enough to remove such despicable labels.

As of now, he was on his way to the office of the Newspaper Guild. He wanted to discuss this with Ihara. Mostly because he wanted to get another insight when it came to his impression on Namimori Middle School and because he also wanted to know what kind of students was assigned to the other.

When he finally reached it and was about to knock on the door, he flinched slightly when it was slammed open and was greeted by the annoyed face of Ihara Shino.

The said dark haired teen was now whirling around, shoulders taut with tension.

"Fix this mess in an instant!" Ihara yelled furiously as he jerkily motioned to what Kuroko assumed to be the mess. Looking over the other's shoulder, he cringed when he saw the paperwork littering the floor and the upturned furniture and tables. "Or, I swear to god, Aikawa, I'm going to murder someone in their sleep and you're going to be the one responsible for it. Who told you to bring those first years in our office in the first place?!" He demanded in a growl, obviously incensed.

"Funny story about that, Ihara…" Someone from within the office laughed uneasily.

"Do I look like I care, fool?" Ihara's fingers were now twitching by his side. "If this office isn't spotless by sundown, I'm banning those snacks for the rest of the year until you graduate," He threatened darkly before he turned around and stepped out, slamming the door close in his wake.

Kuroko vaguely heard someone wailing. He figured that it was the person Ihara had just threatened. He imagined the same reaction from Murasakibara if Akashi did ever propose that rule in their club.

"Ihara-kun can actually be quite frightening if he wanted to be," Kuroko found himself commenting rather blandly.

As expected, Ihara jumped. But he also screamed as well.

"K-Kuroko!" Ihara was now eyeing him as if he had just seen the most terrifying event of his life. "W-When the hell did you get here?" He demanded as soon as he straightened and got his composure back.

"Since you opened the door to your office," Kuroko answered with a tilt of his head. "Did I come at a bad time?" He asked politely, sensing that the other might not be in the mood to talk.

At this, Ihara blinked before sighing.

"No, not really," He grimaced. "It's just that Aikawa's being an idiot again," His eyes darkened at this as they walked along the corridors. "Not to be rude, but why are you looking for me?" Ihara asked straight to the point as he hastily approached the vending machine by the end of the hall.

Kuroko gestured to the folder in his hand, watching as Ihara bought two green teas.

The other just tossed the can to him as they sat down on the bench across from the machine.

"I just picked up the files of my eventual students from the Guidance Office," Kuroko revealed as he opened the folder and picked up two photos. The first was of a meek brunette boy with gravity-defying hair and round brown eyes. The other was of a rather tall and well-built boy with dark spiky hair and eyes, grinning toothily. "The first one is called Sawada Tsunayoshi and the second one is Kamiyama Takumi. They are both in their second years,"

"Well, I got mine this morning," Ihara answered with a content sigh as he took a sip of his tea. "Apparently, my students will be Yamamoto Takeshi and Fujishima Mei. The first one is in his second year while the other one is on her first. Though, the former is more sports-oriented and has earned low grades for poor academic performance while the other is a girl who refuses to talk and keeps failing her exams," By the time he was finished, he seemed to have developed a permanent twitch in his eyebrow.

Kuroko blinked at that before skimming over that part of the file as well.

"It seems that we have almost similar cases on our hands," Kuroko murmured as his eyes narrowed. "But, one of mine has a reputation bad enough to be ostracised by the whole school," He frowned at this, disliking that fact already.

"We got our hands full," Ihara murmured with a grimace.

"But what does Ihara-kun think of Namimori Middle School?" Kuroko asked bluntly as he closed the file.

Ihara raised an eyebrow at him.

"What do I think?" He repeated before he shrugged. "It seems to be normal but I can't actually judge it unless I get to see it for myself,"

Well, they seemed to be of the same opinion.

But they would also be disappointed that Namimori was far from normal.

* * *

When Kuroko had _finally_ revealed his impromptu trip to his captain, it had been a week after it had been announced. He wasn't exactly certain himself on why he had stalled. But, judging from Akashi's glare, the redhead also knew of this fact. It would be his last day in school today, at least, official school day since the volunteers were excused a week before the Cultural Internship Function would be held and before they had to travel to their prospective schools, in his case, to Namimori.

But, his captain had insisted about him coming to practice this afternoon. He didn't exactly understand. He knew that Akashi was annoyed by what he did. And, as much as it pained him to admit, the redhead wouldn't really care that much if he skipped practice altogether as long as he played his best in matches. Not that Kuroko had ever skipped practice. But it was the undeniable truth that he had been ignoring for a while. It was only proven by the continued absences of Aomine and Murasakibara.

Not to mention, he would be spending the whole week with Ihara in order to prepare their travel arrangements. They had also agreed to negotiate on the necessities they would need in the shared apartment and some rules to ensure some kind of order. Actually, it was Ihara who had insisted. Kuroko was just quick to notice that the other was very responsible and that Ihara always liked planning ahead, though he also came off as a strict individual who was obsessed with discipline.

But, he guessed that it was fine since he had somehow acquired a friend outside of the basketball team. It was a surreal experience. Having someone to converse with who didn't always have basketball as the main subject of the conversation. While Kuroko held great love for the sport, his life didn't solely revolved around it and he had other interests outside of it as well.

One of the main issues of their temporary living arrangement was food. Who would cook?

To their relief, both of them knew how to cook (though Kuroko's skill was limited to basic dishes). Ihara had arranged a schedule of who would perform chores at specific days. Though, in order to have a compromise, they had to compare the schedule they had set up for their lesson plan.

But, it was merely temporary since both of them had to consider the sport club activities for their students who were involved. Kuroko was fine with it.

Still, Ihara was actually pleasant to be around, even with his short temper. It seemed that they were both fans of mystery novels but Ihara was also an expert in martial arts. Though, Kuroko had only seen the other's brand of brutality when a delinquent had torn the school newspaper into shreds right in front of Ihara.

To most people, Ihara was the most ideal person. Kind, strong, responsible. But Kuroko had discovered shortly that the Editor-in-Chief of the Newspaper Guild was naive and had his moments of air-headedness. Even more than Momoi and Kise combined.

So, he found himself actually looking forward to the Internship function next week.

But, standing now in front of his teammates, it seemed that they had a different idea. Especially with Kise and Momoi clinging to his arms and wailing and asking him to 'don't leave them'. Aomine just scowled but he sat down on the bench and sent a rather displeased glare towards Kuroko. Midorima didn't even look at him but Kuroko got the impression that the verdant haired teen wasn't happy about something either. Murasakibara and Akashi appeared to be the only ones unaffected, however.

"Explain yourself, Tetsuya," Akashi demanded, his now heterochromatic eyes gleaming ominously.

Kuroko stared at the redhead. He had already told him about the Internship. It was as if Akashi was deliberately putting Kuroko on the spot. Which wasn't actually that far from the truth, now that he thought about it.

So, he might as well go along with it to appease his captain and faced his teammates.

"Starting tomorrow, I won't be attending school," He announced, ignoring the wide eyes – varying shades of pink, blue, green, and gold – as he continued. "And for the next two months a week later on. I've been called on to participate at the Cultural Internship Function for the STA which will take two months. I've been a volunteer in that organization since first year and I can't refused something that I have willingly registered for,"

"But, what about the games?" Midorima inquired tersely, eyes narrowed. "The matches would be starting a month later," He reminded briefly.

"It would seem that you would have to play without me for the mean time," Kuroko answered apologetically, feeling guilty at leaving his teammates behind despite the current distant relationship of their team. "But if I'm not mistaken, I'll be back by the time the official tournament will be commenced and I will play then," As much as it hurt to think about it, they would do extremely fine even without his help.

"B-But Tetsu-kun!" Momoi wailed as she looked at him imploringly. "Do you really have to go to this Internship? Couldn't you just refuse?" She pleaded as her eyes teared up.

Kuroko sighed as he patted her head.

"I volunteered for this so I have to take responsibility, Momoi-san," He explained as gently as he could. "I just can't back out on it,"

The pink haired girl nodded but still looked upset.

Well, he couldn't always please everyone.

"So Kurokocchi's really leaving?" Kise questioned forlornly, looking like a kicked puppy.

"Didn't I just say that, Kise-kun?" Kuroko remarked rather blandly. "At least, I won't have to deal with you for two months," He was just joking, honestly, but the blonde teared up and sniffled, crying.

"Waah! Kurokocchi's so mean!" He cried, crouching down to sulk.

Kuroko barely refrained from rolling his eyes.

Though, their attention shifted to Aomine when he stood up and stretched with a yawn. He looked disgruntled and generally disinterested. Kuroko was slightly upset that his (former?) light didn't even appear to be the slightest bit concerned.

"Well, if that's it then I'm going," Aomine grumbled. "And it's not like Tetsu's not coming back, _right_?" At this, his dark blue eyes intently met Kuroko's powder blue ones so suddenly that the teal haired teen flinched.

For a moment, he was at a loss for words.

Then, he smiled, albeit weakly.

"Hai," He confirmed determinedly as he sealed it with a nod towards the other. He watched as Aomine nodded back, satisfied, before sauntering out of the gym. He couldn't believe how that simple reaffirmation had made him so happy. For a moment, even if it was just a brief glimpse, he had seen the warmth of the Aomine he had befriended.

"What the–" Momoi suddenly jerked as she stared after the other. "I'm sorry about him, Tetsu-kun. He's just being annoying as usual," She apologized, grimacing before moving to go after her childhood friend. "I'll call you later!" She waved over her shoulder before running out of the gym as well.

"Well, Kuro-chin, tell me what their food tastes like from where you are supposed to go," Murasakibara suddenly drawled as he chewed on his potato chips. "I'm actually quite jealous. I want to travel too," He complained childishly.

"_Where_ are you assigned to, Tetsuya?" Akashi put in, eyes ordering him to confess or he wouldn't like the consequences.

"To Namimori Middle School," Kuroko answered monotonously. "It's in Gifu Prefecture," He added.

"Eeeeehh?" Kise suddenly burst in. "That's too far Kurokocchi!" He whined, obviously dismayed.

"It is quite far," Midorima agreed as he pushed his glasses up with his taped fingers. "Though, while I hope you have a safe journey, what did your parents say about this? Even for an event, two months is still rather long," He remarked sternly.

"They agreed with the condition that I inform them of how I am doing every day," Kuroko revealed. "And okaa-san had promised to visit me there every Sunday."

Well, he didn't know how the other students had persuaded their parents into agreeing to the trip but his own parents were rather easy-going people as long as you make your demands reasonable. And Kuroko could be perfectly reasonable when needed.

"That is understandable," Akashi nodded with approval. "I would also like you to call me every end of the week. You have to continue training regardless of location. I won't have you slacking off and burdening the team by the time you join back. So, I would like to be informed of your progress and what you are doing to keep yourself conditioned," The redhead ordered as he crossed his arms.

"Of course, Akashi-kun," Kuroko readily agreed.

Having this conversation with his friends, it made Kuroko realized that he might have needed this all along. It wasn't quite concern but the way they made up some fuss warmed him. It reminded him of old times.

And, that, despite the current rift between them, they had once been a team.

* * *

His parents had seen him off at the Tokyo Train Station on early Sunday morning, the day that the volunteers were designated to travel to their respective schools. He had met Ihara along the way who had also come with his parents and they had boarded the train on the way to Nagoya Station. He didn't know about the other but he had slept through the trip of three hours. By the time they had arrived, Ihara was impatiently waking him up so they could instantly get on the train to Gifu Station.

According to the arrangements made by the school's Travel and Transportation Office, a private vehicle from the STA would be expecting them there and would drive them directly to their temporary residence in Namimori.

Kuroko was carrying a large suitcase that contained his uniform, textbooks, clothes and some of the basic necessities that he had required himself. Though, he was also dwarfed by the large backpack on his back containing another set of clothes and some of his gadgets like his laptop, charger, headphones, and his father had even insisted on letting him bring some of his novels so he would have something to do on his past time.

Ihara basically had the same amount of baggage, saved for the fact that he was also carrying a large plastic bag full of sweet snacks like pocky, cream puffs, hard caramels, vanilla squares, Kitkat bars and even choco balls. It was the first time Kuroko had seen someone with such fondness for snacks that wasn't Murasakibara, albeit only the sweet ones.

The trip to Gifu station only took forty minutes this time and Kuroko had spent that time discussing with Ihara about their expectations when temporarily living in a town they had never been to before.

To his delight, Ihara had even given him a box of vanilla-flavoured pocky as they conversed.

When they arrived, they obviously didn't expect the amount of people in the station as they got swept by the crowd. Thankfully, they didn't get separated but Kuroko was already tired and Ihara's patience was thinning fast.

Kuroko was annoyed that they had to wait for about twenty minutes before the vehicle from the STA arrived.

The man was quick to recognize Ihara but he had been shocked out of his wits when Kuroko had made his presence known. He supposed that it served as a little revenge for the time that they were kept waiting. He was a muscular man with smooth black hair named Enomoto Noboru, apparently, he was a teacher from Namimori Middle School. Interesting fact was that he was the coach of the school's basketball team and he also taught PE.

The teal haired teen refrained from revealing that he was a regular in his school's basketball club, still too much aware of the Generation of Miracles' reputation in the middle school basketball circle.

This time, it was Ihara who had slept through the trip and the drive took one and a half hour.

And Enomoto hadn't stopped talking either about his team, the school, his class, or certain students that he was or wasn't fond of. Kuroko had actually tuned him out as he merely stared at the window throughout the trip.

By the time they had arrived in the town, it was already noon. Kuroko marvelled at the peaceful ambiance and, despite being a small town, Namimori didn't exactly looked that different from Tokyo with the same urban setting of buildings and highways, only with lots of greenery and not including the lack of traffic and bustle back in their city.

The residences were close-knit and the community in general was well-kept and clean.

Enomoto had driven them around quite a bit before he eventually dropped them off at their temporary living quarters. It was a large apartment building that was said to be near the school and their place was on the third floor. The man didn't bother with formalities and introductions and merely gave them the files for their assignments and an envelope for their monthly allowance before abruptly leaving, stating that he had to check in with the school principal for their arrival.

Now, Kuroko wasn't expecting anything special but the fully-furnished and large apartment slightly stunned him. It made him realize that the STA were really making the life of the student teachers comfortable, especially with the two-month stay.

To his relief, there were two bedrooms.

He and Ihara had spent the rest of the afternoon settling in and familiarizing themselves with the apartment. They had a living room that was adjacent to the kitchen area and dining table which was separated by the counter. There was also a television located in the living room and the kitchen had the necessary utensils they would need. Checking the refrigerator, Kuroko noted that it was fully stocked and deduced that the first week supply was already provided by the STA. They also had a landline and Kuroko resolved to instantly inform his parents about this.

Though, Ihara was quick to demand that they study their assignments first so Kuroko resigned himself to a long discussion. They had been given a set of directions from their apartment where certain key locations were to be found. Like Namimori Middle School, the police station, the hospital, the library, the market, the nearest convenience store, the park, the mall, the town shrine, and even the Laundromat.

Another was a reminder of what time they were needed in school tomorrow and whom to look for. Then, there were application forms that they needed to fill up in order to make their temporary transfer in Namimori Middle school official. Another set of forms were from the STA that appeared to be some sort of contract of commitment to their students.

Kuroko had no idea that the process was this tedious.

* * *

"So, did you finish filling up your forms?" Ihara questioned curtly, arms crossed over his chest.

"Hai," Kuroko answered blankly, starting to get used to Ihara's obsession for order.

The dark haired teen raised an eyebrow at his monosyllabic reply. Honestly, Kuroko just thought that Ihara was taking this too seriously. The other boy always made it seem like they were entering a battle of some sort. Always planning ahead, triple-checking everything, and even fussing over him.

"That's good," Ihara nodded his head sternly as he stood up. "Now, since you're obviously exhausted, I'll make dinner tonight," He declared as he padded over the kitchen area.

Kuroko watched his roommate get to work.

Now that he thought about it, he did feel drowsy. The teal haired teen leaned his head on the back of the couch and decided that he would only rest his eyes. Though, he couldn't deny that he was actually excited for tomorrow. He would get to meet new people and get to observe a new environment. Still, he also thought somewhat exasperatedly that Ihara was starting to sound like his guardian of sorts. He had actually expected more resistance considering that Ihara couldn't seem to stand lazy people.

Not that he was lazy. He had actually anticipated being ordered around. Not this.

Before he was even aware of it, he succumbed to the clutches of sleep, fatigue creeping in.

* * *

From afar, observing with his handy green binoculars, a baby smirked.

"So, that's Dame-Tsuna's new tutor," He remarked curiously. "How interesting," He stated with apparent glee as the binoculars in his hands transformed back into a green lizard that climbed on top of his fedora hat.

* * *

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**AN**: Well, I don't know where Namimori is actually located so I made its location in Gifu up. From what I had in mind, it's actually a small town in Japan so I had it located here. Another is that, in this story, Teikou Junior High is more high-standard and elite than how it was portrayed in the KnB, at least for middle school since we have Rakuzan for high school.

As for the characters of Kamiyama and Enomoto, they are _canon characters_ from KHR. I just gave them first names to give them more depth.

While for Ihara, take a guess from whose character I based him from. Same for Fujishima Mei who will be later introduced.

For the timeline, I'm not fully aware of how things went in KHR, but I'll try to be as accurate as possible. In KHR, this is after the Daily Life Arc and before Kokuyo Arc. For KnB, this is before the games will start on their third year but some of the things had already started, such as the rift. But Kuroko doesn't feel too much distant from the GoM yet because the Nationals (Meikou vs Teikou) hadn't occured yet.

So, well, tell me what you think and leave a review. And for me to know if I have to continue this by knowing if it was well-received.

Thank you for reading this story.


	2. Act of Will II

**AN**: Thank you for those who reviewed and encouraged me to continue this! I really love you guys! As a present, I decided to post the second chapter earlier. I'm glad that some of you liked Ihara. I told you, despite being and OC, he's actually inspired (and a little likened) to an anime character that I know. I apologize if the reaction seems a little bland but I will get to that later.

**Warning(s)**: A little OOC. And there are some OCs that I've used. This is going to be slightly slow. I'm going to maximize Kuroko's two month quota.

**Pairing(s)**: None. I'm going to make this **GEN**.

**Disclaimer**: _I don't own Kuroko no Basuke or Katekyo Hitman Reborn_

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* * *

[**Chapter Two: Act of Will II**]

* * *

Dinner was a quiet affair.

Ihara had opted to cook a simple but fulfilling dinner of curry and rice with a side serving of miso soup. They talked a little about getting to school early tomorrow to get their schedules and to finally meet their students face to face. Kuroko was feeling a bit apprehensive as much as he was helpful. Truth be told, he wasn't exactly the most sociable person and he tended to scare people more than befriend them.

And, files could only tell them so much and neither of them was even sure if they were accurate in the first place.

"According to the file," Kuroko had mentioned. "Sawada-san had to take summer classes to pass his mathematics and history. I think that I will focus on that area to get him on par with his peers." He casually revealed, staring at Ihara.

"Really?" Ihara blinked at him curiously. "Well, he's the same as Yamamoto then. They're from the same class, aren't they?" He contemplated.

"Hai," The teal haired teen nodded, already knowing what Ihara was pertaining to.

"That's good, it's means they might be friends," The dark haired teen speculated. "It'll make things easier for us," Ihara had frowned at this but he didn't look displeased. "But, it's going to be hell for me though, handling that Fujishima Mei," He groaned as his head made an audible impact with the table.

Kuroko frowned in worry.

"Is something wrong, Ihara-kun?" He inquired as his brows furrowed.

"Fujishima is diagnosed with androphobia," Ihara sighed at this as he straightened in his seat and set down his chopsticks. "I just read about it in her file yesterday. While it's not that _yet_ severe, it's the reason why she doesn't really talk around school, there are numerous guys within five meters of her. And that's what I don't exactly understand about her. There's a nearby all-girls middle school. So why bother going to a co-ed where attending there is literally torture?" His expression became frustrated at this.

"That is quite worrying," Kuroko murmured quietly.

While he had heard of cases of androphobia before, he hadn't actually encountered anyone with it. He wondered what had happened to Fujishima Mei to develop a fear in regards to men. And he sympathized with Ihara. He wondered how the other boy was going to work around this case.

"I'll just have to talk to her tomorrow about this," Ihara resolved as he stood up, gathering the dishes as he did so. "And then I'll see what I can do from there," He stated with a determined expression, eyes narrowing.

Kuroko sighed. There went Ihara again with his habit of treating everything like some sort-of dangerous mission.

Well, teaching a girl who literally feared him was _kind of_ risky, depending on which side he was willing to see.

Standing up, he also collected his share of dishes and moved to the sink. There, he stubbornly held his ground as he insisted that he'd wash them in exchange for Ihara's effort in cooking their dinner. The other boy reluctantly let him do as he had said.

After that, they cleaned up and went to sleep early. Kuroko knew that tomorrow was going to be busy.

* * *

**Day One - **_**XXXX**_

Kuroko had woken up early. He had at least two and a half hours before they needed to depart for school. Though, it would be an hour later when he came to wake up Ihara that he discovered that the other boy was _not_ a morning person. The dark haired teen had stumbled out of his own room, looking quite a quasi-version of a zombie, before slouching to the kitchen for some coffee which Kuroko had thoughtfully prepared.

Though, he had to shake his head as he remembered the ludicrous amount of creamer and sugar that Ihara had poured into the drink. He even wondered if it still even tasted coffee. As for the other, he had taken one look at Kuroko's messy locks before bluntly stating that he wouldn't let the teal haired teen go to Namimori Middle School with that kind of hair on their first day. Kuroko supposed that Ihara was a lot snarkier too in the morning.

After having his dose of caffeine, Ihara seemed to be more alert as he went back to his habit of triple-checking everything before they went out. Neither of them had the luxury of preparing a bento so they bought their packed lunches from the convenience store on the way to school. Though, Ihara had made sure that he had pocky and cream puffs included.

Kuroko thought that wearing their Teikou uniform wasn't actually productive.

It singled them out. Well, it singled Ihara out considering that majority of the people they bumped into didn't even notice him.

And it wasn't until they had reached the gates of the school that Kuroko became thankful that Ihara was such a worry-wart. Once they had reached the school gate, they, or Ihara, obviously had the attention of the whole school. But what Kuroko was pertaining to was the black haired teen blocking them from entering the premises. Sharp grey eyes glared at Ihara so intensely that had Kuroko worried for a moment.

"Are you from the STA program, herbivore?" The dark haired teen demanded. He was dressed in the school uniform – black pants, long-sleeved white shirt with a blue tie underneath a blue sweater-vest, and an armband with the word 'discipline' around his left arm.

It didn't take Kuroko long to recognize the other. He must be a member of Namimori Middle School's Disciplinary Committee. They also had their own back in Teikou and he was also certain that Akashi was managing that alongside the student council. Though, there were actually rumors that Haizaki used to be a member (forced by Nijimura, to be more specific), but Kuroko hadn't ascertained seeing as Haizaki had stopped attending school as soon as he had quit the basketball club.

"_We_ are," Ihara answered tersely, shoulders tensing.

The disciplinary committee member's eyes narrowed at Ihara's wording. Kuroko decided that he really should make his presence known before things got out of hand.

"Ihara-kun and I were asked to look for Nanako-san for our schedule today," He intervened as politely as he could and he watched in confusion as the dark haired teen in front of them tensed as he whipped out and wielded some kind of metallic weapons in his direction. He didn't let it faze him, but he was inwardly unnerved at the reaction, as he stared at the darkening eyes of the disciplinary committee member.

Never had he encountered anyone who reacted so violently in his presence. Well, it was more _after_ he had managed to scare them, usually Aomine who would smack him on the head.

"Who are _you_?" The other teen growled at Kuroko, his pupils dilating slightly.

"He's with me," Ihara cut in with a scowl of his own. "As I said, _we_ are part of the STA program. And we need to see the Administration Head for our registration. So, could you please move aside and let us pass already?" He inquired, seemingly polite, but there was hidden aggravation in his words as he showed their application forms.

Kuroko marveled at his friend's ability to overlook the fact that the student in front of them appeared to be mere seconds away from attacking them.

Looking around them, he received some shocked looks but most were staring at Ihara as if he was about to die. It seemed that this disciplinary committee member was quite feared and Kuroko was now starting to think if it was wise to provoke him.

He wasn't scared, per se, merely being cautious as he had no experience in these situations.

Without warning, the teen in front of them _blurred_. The next thing Kuroko knew, Ihara had pushed him aside as the teen dodged the other's weapons. He saw the metal graze his friend's jaw and knew that it would bruise later. Interesting fact was instead of firing off an insult or even yelling to express anger, Ihara grabbed the wrist that held the weapon that almost hit him but before he could do any damage, the other metallic weapon almost slammed into him until Ihara let go of the wrist he was holding and jumped back to the teal haired teen's position as if to defend.

Kuroko sighed and tasked himself with picking up the bag and folders from the ground that Ihara had dropped.

"Ihara-kun," He called out quietly, ignoring the armed boy's glare in his direction. "We really need to get going. I don't think the Administration Office will appreciate our tardiness on our first day, it would be simply rude of us," Kuroko pointed out as he balanced Ihara's files together with his own on his arms.

Ihara scowled, as if he was about to refuse, but then, obviously remembering where he was, he straightened his uniform and grabbed his bag and files from Kuroko with a grateful nod. Though, he glared back at the armed student darkly as he walked past him.

For a moment, Kuroko thought that the disciplinary committee member would still pursue the matter. So it surprised him when the weapons disappeared instead. He walked and hurried a little to match his friend's pace and saw him munching aggressively on pocky sticks which he had opened.

Turning around for a moment, Kuroko bowed to the unknown teen that had attacked Ihara.

"It was nice to meet you," He said dryly. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience but we really are in a hurry," Kuroko sincerely tried to sound apologetic but the other's eyes merely narrowed at him, so he assumed that he'd failed. This time, it wasn't of bloodlust and violence but of contemplation.

With that said, he jogged a little to catch up to the other. They hadn't even started yet and they already had caused a commotion.

What an awful way to start the day.

* * *

When Kuroko had assumed that the disciplinary committee member earlier was feared, he was correct. _Definitely_ correct. And it extended all the way to the school staff and faculty. In fact, as they walked along the halls, the students were staring at Ihara in awe. And it didn't escape his notice that they were also actively trying to seek his presence. Some failed and those who managed had either yelped, screamed, or tripped in surprise.

Nanako-san was a middle-aged woman with soft features, dark hair, and a bright smile.

She had welcomed them rather warmly and even inquired about the bruise on Ihara's jaw. But, as soon as his friend mentioned their earlier skirmish with the unknown teen, she had paled and worriedly advised them to never confront the teen – _Hibari Kyouya,_ she had emphasized – ever again. It seemed that he wasn't only a member but the actual Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee and Kuroko wondered what they had done to actually deserve this.

They were given their schedules for their temporary transfer and Ihara had expressed his relief that they shared the same class. It seemed that he was now distrustful of the school after their encounter this morning.

Still, after their brief meeting with the principal, who had welcomed them and shakily apologized for Hibari, they were told that they weren't required yet to attend any of their classes today and were free to explore the school first. The first thing Kuroko had asked – the man had screamed bloody murder during this as he hadn't noticed Kuroko – was the location of the library. He had his own textbooks and teaching materials but he needed to see the available references they had within the school. Ihara had the same thing in mind and agreed to check on it first. Though, the man was quick to give them a pass in case they encountered any member of the Disciplinary Committee.

Before they departed the office, they were informed that they were going to meet their students during lunchtime and they were given the rest of the afternoon to get acquainted.

Ihara had stuck close to him during their 'tour', so to speak. Kuroko wasn't sure when the other had developed a certain protectiveness towards him. But, he just accepted it with resignation, knowing that it made the other less agitated.

The school was admittedly smaller when it came to structure compared to Teikou. And, it only had one gymnasium compared to the eight ones they had back in Tokyo, with four being occupied by the basketball club, and two sports field that was almost close to the four they had. The classrooms were of the same range but the population is obviously lesser than what they were used to. Kuroko knew that every morning, they had to always force their way into crowded halls and grounds whenever they had to get to somewhere in Teikou.

Another thing he noted was the tall trees that surrounded Namimori Middle School. It made for a relaxing environment. Then there was the matter of the cafeteria – it wasn't large and they were told by the janitor that you actually had to fight for your seat in case that it got swarmed by students. It was one of the reasons why there were numerous benches surrounding the school to provide for additional lunch spots. And students mostly preferred eating back in their classrooms.

The school wasn't lacking, per se, but it was _just enough_ to accommodate the small population of students.

It was such a simple lifestyle that Kuroko was surprised at how he had forgotten about how it felt. Teikou was _amazing_, he admitted that wholeheartedly, but being in an elite school meant that you had to be an elite yourself and _know_ what it meant to be an _elite_.

Ihara shared the same thought judging by how the other boy had wanted to check out the school's newspaper.

When they had finally reached the library, there were no students around since they were still in their classes. But Kuroko was pleased that despite the lesser quantity of books, they were actually going to be useful references and he knew some of them personally from Teikou's library or from authors that he actually preferred. Ihara was already making a list of the books that had caught his eye and Kuroko followed his example.

To his surprise and Ihara's suspicion, they hadn't actually encountered anyone from the Disciplinary Committee.

Still, they had spent majority of their time in the library.

"Kuroko," Ihara quietly called as his eyes skimmed the school newspaper. "One of your students is _Sawada Tsunayoshi_, right?" He asked almost carefully as a frown made its way to his lips, and Kuroko caught a disapproving gleam in his amber eyes.

"Hai," Kuroko shifted his eyes to Ihara from the novel that he had been checking on. "Is there a problem, Ihara-kun?"

Without saying anything, Ihara turned the newspaper to him.

It dated back last year and he wondered what had caught his friend's attention. Then, he saw it. The headline read '_Boxer Boy Confesses to School Idol_'. And the photo featured a brunette boy in his boxers collapsed on the ground near the school gates with a devastated look on his face. Beside it was a picture of a beautiful girl with short auburn hair, obviously pertaining to who that 'school idol' was.

"You have an exhibitionist for a student," Ihara pointed out with slight displeasure, his eyes narrowing as he turned the newspaper to read most of the article. "It says here that it wasn't the last time that he'd pranced around the school or town in his boxers. Not to mention that he'd been involved in some strange incidents." His frowned deepened at this as his eyes continued perusing the article.

"I won't judge Sawada-kun until I meet him," Kuroko responded lightly, unmoved.

The dark haired teen only sighed but didn't refute him.

Kuroko was about to go back to his novel when something was shoved into his face. It was a thick booklet with a blue cover – '_Namimori_' – and Kuroko's gaze shifted from the booklet to Ihara who was impatiently staring at him. Wordlessly, he accepted it with his free hand as he put down his novel.

"That's the school manual and we're going to familiarize ourselves with the school regulations and rules," His friend revealed nonchalantly, flipping his own manual as his eyes took in the words. "It's better if you actually memorize it so we can avoid conflicts with this school's Disciplinary Committee. I won't have that Hibari holding things over our heads as much as possible if we can help it," His expression didn't really shift but Kuroko got this weird vibe from him nevertheless.

The teal haired teen stared at the other blankly. Then it shifted to the _thick_ booklet. Then back to Ihara once again.

"You're not serious," Kuroko deadpanned.

"I am serious," Ihara stared back at him calmly, raising an eyebrow and looking so unbothered as if he didn't even see anything wrong with his suggestion. "_Dead_ serious." He emphasized when Kuroko continued to eye him blankly.

"I guess I'll see to it when we get home," He acquiesced hesitantly.

"You should," Ihara agreed as he scowled. "That Hibari… He's dangerous," He warned with narrowed eyes. "Stay away from him as much as you can. He's not an ordinary delinquent," He continued sternly.

Kuroko furrowed his brows. His friend had readily labeled the student earlier as a delinquent. And, if he followed after Ihara's conclusion, a _delinquent_ was the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee. It certainly was an irony.

That actually explained why majority of the school population feared him.

"If Ihara-kun says so," Kuroko casually agreed, if only for his friend's peace of mind.

* * *

Lunch time was spent at an isolated part of the school by the back of the gym.

It was Kuroko's suggestion since he knew that they were bound to be swarmed by curious students sooner or later. He had told Ihara that they were merely delaying the inevitable. Well, it was more for the other's benefit since he could always use his misdirection on them. But, Ihara had been most helpful so far and he wasn't going to leave him to the wolves, so to speak. Or, at least, he would try.

When they had visited Nanako-san once again after lunch, they were told to go to separate consultation rooms to meet their students. She said that it was for initial privacy and so they could discuss their prospective lessons in peace before they had to succumb to publicity after.

Kuroko didn't like how they were being treated like VIPs.

It didn't escape his notice either that rumors about them were already beginning to circulate around the school. Though, it mostly centered about their skirmish with Hibari Kyouya than their actual presence.

Ihara had already entered his designated room while Kuroko took his time. He wasn't actually nervous about how he would perceive his students. He had already gotten a general feel for what he would be expecting of them from the newspapers and the files. It wasn't accurate, he knew, but there was always some common ground and even rumors had some bit of truth in them. He was actually thinking of how he was going to be viewed. It was going to be hard if his students disliked him.

Steeling his nerves, he turned the doorknob and entered.

The first thing he noticed was that instead of tables and chairs, there were couches, and a coffee table by the center of it. The walls were a relaxing off-white and there was a large window that let the sunlight stream into the room quite magnificently. Next was the muscular teen that he immediately recognized as Kamiyama who was staring out the windows quite fixatedly. Then, his eyes shifted to the quiet but fidgeting brunette teen, Sawada, standing at the corner.

Neither actually noticed his entrance. He sighed. _Figures_.

As a way to call their attention, he settled his folders on top of the table loudly, causing Kamiyama to flinch and Sawada to actually _shriek_.

Their eyes instantly swiveled to his direction and Kuroko watched as they widened upon seeing him.

He gave a small bow.

"I'm Kuroko Tetsuya," He introduced blankly as he straightened and met their gazes unwaveringly. "And I'm going to be your tutor,"

"H-How did you–?" Sawada was stuttering as his wide brown eyes stared back at Kuroko with fright. Though, when Kamiyama moved to approach the teal haired teen, Sawada followed rather reluctantly, cautious. While Kamiyama was staring intently at Kuroko with a scrutinizing expression.

Then, to Kuroko's inward surprise, Kamiyama took his hand in his and shook it rather vigorously.

"I'm Kamiyama Takumi, Kuroko-senpai!" The dark haired teen introduced rather eagerly, his earlier expression now replaced with a bright one. "Thank you for agreeing to tutor me! I'm looking forward to working with you! After all, I still have to prove my worth to Sasagawa-senpai!" He declared passionately as he let go of Kuroko's hand and clenched his fists, which were bandaged now that the teal haired teen noticed.

Though, he eyed Kamiyama curiously.

"H-He's a member of the b-boxing club," Sawada stammered quietly, hesitantly. "And the captain of the club is S-Sasagawa Ryohei," The brunette clarified as he fumbled with his hands, obviously nervous, as Kamiyama nodded firmly at this.

Kuroko eyed him, making the other squirm, before he offered his hand as well. After all, it was Kamiyama who started it and he couldn't afford to show favoritism.

The brunette stared at it for a few seconds before shakily grasping it. Kuroko squeezed the hand gently and had truly expected for the younger boy to let go immediately due to nerves but he was surprised when the grip actually tightened. He stared at his student's face as traces of anxiety disappeared from his expression and shifted instead into one of awe and slight confusion. Kuroko loosened his hold but Sawada merely held on.

"Sawada-kun," He called calmly. "I need my hand back," Kuroko pointed out wryly and with a hint of amusement as the brunette jumped and slowly let go of his hand, a blush now staining his cheeks in obvious embarrassment.

"Your hand," Sawada said softly, avoiding his gaze. "It's _warm_,"

Kuroko had no idea what his student really meant but instead chose to proceed to start with the orientation. He gestured for them to take a seat as he took his position as well across from them. Kamiyama was strangely quiet, Kuroko had expected more enthusiastic declarations from him, but the boy was simply vibrating with barely held excitement as he gave his full attention. Sawada had sat beside the other as his gaze skittered everywhere but they glanced at Kuroko from time to time with curiosity.

He wondered if the brunette even noticed that Kuroko already knew his name before he even had the chance to introduce himself.

"If you're not yet aware, I'm from the STA or the Student Teachers Association that Teikou Junior High had established as a way of assisting and assessing other middle schools. I've been a volunteer since my first year seeing as one of my passions had been teaching," Kuroko admitted bluntly,_ other than basketball_, as he eyed them steadily. "I used to tutor a friend of mine back then but this will be my first time being an official tutor," He let out a small breath as he willed himself to relax and release the tension accumulating within him.

"Wow," Kamiyama breathed out. "Teikou's in Tokyo, right? That's quite far from here, Kuroko-senpai!" He exclaimed with astonishment.

"It is," The teal haired teen agreed with a nod. "But it's fine, the STA made sure that we're well-accommodated during our stay. Now, you both will be under my tutelage for the next two months and I hope that you will benefit from my help. Understand that I didn't take this responsibility to criticize you but to _help_ you. So, if you have any concern regarding this arrangement, please address me directly about it," Kuroko declared firmly but sincerely as he eyed Sawada in particular who merely flushed and avoided meeting his eyes.

Sawada shyly raised his hand.

"Yes, Sawada-kun?" Kuroko gently coaxed him, aware of the boy's low self-esteem and currently confirming it.

"W-Will there be punishments if we failed…?" The brunette asked timidly, if not a bit fearfully.

He gave the younger boy an odd look. The bullying might have been more severe than he thought. He already disliked that thought. So, to appease his student, he shook his head sharply in disagreement.

"No," He stated a little bit too sternly for his liking. "I think failing your tests and subject is sufficient punishment enough,"

Sawada seemed relieved by this, although, he also appeared to be berating himself for asking that question.

"All I will be asking of you is your cooperation and a promise to do your best. While I am here to help, I won't do _all_ the work and the rest will still be up to you if you honestly want to improve your academic performance," At this he opened his folder and grabbed the activity sheets that he had made with Ihara earlier in the library. "Now, I want you to answer this simple test to the best of your ability so we can assess your standing with the subjects. It's a way so I can deduce how we will be breaking down your learning pace," Kuroko explained as he handed them each their tests and even provided them with pencils.

Sawada was already sweating and Kamiyama was looking equally dismayed beside him. Kuroko didn't think that it was _that_ bad.

"A-Already?" Sawada squeaked feebly, eyes wide.

"B-But–" Even Kamiyama was speechless.

"I'll give you all afternoon if need be," He allowed generously.

It didn't appear to mollify them. If anything, they seemed to be agonized as their eyes read the questions. Kuroko had actually grouped the questions according to subjects and combined the easier problems with the difficult ones to see which subject they might excel at. Though, it was something that first year middle school students could handle and he had checked the current second year curriculum with Nanako-san so he knew what phase they were already facing in their second year subjects.

Looking at his watch, Kamiyama and Sawada still had two hours to complete the assessment.

Still, while this activity would give him a general idea of their knowledge, Kuroko knew that he couldn't entirely base his evaluation on that. Tutoring Ogiwara taught him that much, at least.

To pass the time, he grabbed an information sheet from his folder and decided to start on his report. It would actually help on being accurate if he started writing it while on session and he could keep note of the important factors regarding the two in front of him that he might have overlooked if given time in between. He had actually gotten the idea from Midorima who had inquired about the STA program, taking actual notes.

_Date: August 7th of 2XXX_

_Day: One_

_Academic Volunteer Personnel: Kuroko Tetsuya (__黒子__テツヤ__)_

_Student under Tutelage: Sawada Tsunayoshi __(__沢田__綱吉__); Kamiyama Takumi (__神山 __拓実__)_

_School: Namimori Middle School (134 Suburbia Street, Namimori, Gifu Prefecture, Japan)_

_Activity: Orientation & Assessment_

_Remark:_

_(Namimori Middle School is a decent school. Its facility is adequate as it provides accommodation to its less population of students compared in Teikou. The rules are adhered to mandatorily, though, the Disciplinary Committee seems to hold more control than the Student Council. Its facilities are well-kept and always taken care of for student use. The staff is very welcoming but I have seen signs of being easily influenced by student's social demands._

_The curriculum that I had been presented with so far is very similar to Teikou's and, thankfully, foreign language, or English, is one of the main subjects taught in classes. I have yet to assess learning stability as I haven't been in an actual class but scoring rate is actually high with 85%. Student performance from what I had managed to glean is actually very impressive. Despite the less people, it actually kept up with the high-class RCPP standard set by the STA in terms of school activities and active outside school competitions._

_First Impressions:_

_Kamiyama Takumi__ (__神山 __拓実__)__ proved to be in control of himself. Despite loud outbursts that occasionally came out, he can be surprisingly quiet when the situation demanded it. He's also excitable about the smallest of things and seems to be eager about this tutorial to 'prove his worth to Sasagawa-senpai' as he had worded it._

_His determination is commendable but he had easily reverted back to an ordinary anxious student when presented by the possibility of having to face a written test._

_He's a member of the Boxing Club, which I was already aware from reading it from his file, but I was not aware of his admiration of its captain, Sasagawa Ryohei. I might need to meet this person to see what kind of role model Kamiyama-kun had chosen for himself. And I can garner some insight of how Kamiyama-kun is usually. Impressions only last until I've seen the full extent._

_Sawada Tsunayoshi __(__沢田__綱吉__) is as the file says. He is timid, easily intimidated, hesitant, and generally restless and tended to squirm under scrutinizing eyes._

_While his qualities are initially viewed as weak, I've seen hidden strength in his gaze, telling me that while he is actually intimidated by my presence, he had seen (and possibly dealt with) something much worse and lived._

_His files had said that he was usually the center of mockery amongst his peers, earning a despicable moniker of 'Dame-Tsuna', and it strongly hinted of being bullied by his fellow schoolmates. I honestly can't help with his self-esteem as it is now but improving his academic performance will actually make way into building that up._

_At first, I was quite certain that he didn't easily trust judging by the way he had acted initially skittish but I easily deduced that it was not the case and he was merely uneasy with me due to the circumstances of how we've been introduced to each other. I have to inquire if he had been tutored before or been under someone's personal teaching, his reaction towards me and his subsequent expectation strongly suggested that he wasn't used to how I had set up our arrangement for this tutorial._

_I remembered the articles from this morning and wondered what had actually compelled Sawada-kun into running around the school and town in his boxers. He didn't strike me as the type but I can't judge, seeing as I did the same with a strict classmate of mine back then who turned out to be obsessed with horoscopes._

_Sawada-kun's reaction to the written test was the same as Kamiyama-kun, though, if not a bit more miserable about it._

_They had actually accepted this tutorial arrangement quite well. Better than I expected. Usually, students who would be put into such a program would act bitter regarding it as the school had actually deemed them as a 'worst case' but Kamiyama-kun and Sawada-kun had rather taken it well. Kamiyama-kun was actually looking forward to it while Sawada-kun was originally hesitant, then slowly warmed up to the idea as I discussed my intentions as precise and honest as I could._

_Both of them also listen readily to instruction–)_

"That's actually pretty accurate," A squeaky voice commented from over his left shoulder.

Kuroko was cut off from writing his report as he turned to look at the owner of the voice but was stopped when the door slammed open.

He subtly flinched in surprise as his eyes shifted to his watch for a second (his students still had an hour to finish the test) before straying to the doorway. A small girl stood there. When Kuroko mentioned small, he meant _small_. She might be even below five feet and that was saying something. She had long light brown hair that was tied into a high ponytail and wide terrified green eyes staring around the room. Eyes shifting behind him, he saw no one there. He shook off earlier as his imagination playing tricks on him.

Looking back at the younger males in the room, Kuroko saw them gazing curiously at the girl but wasn't trying to be obvious about it. And failing with the latter quite badly. She was dressed in the school's uniform, so she was a student. It wasn't until he had looked at her intently did he recognize her. She was Fujishima Mei. Ihara's student. He tapped the table to get his students' attention and gave them a look to which they became sheepish and returned to answering their test.

It seemed that his action had actually given away his presence and she jumped violently when she finally took notice of him. She didn't make a sound. Fujishima merely brought out a large sketchbook and started to shakily write (or draw, he wasn't quite sure) on it. Of course, she didn't speak around males.

When she turned the sketchbook to him, to show him what she had written, Kuroko paused and read.

And _read_.

And read _again_.

Her writing basically said 'Yamamoto-senpai poisoned Ihara-senpai. He's on his way to hospital.' and Kuroko couldn't help but eye her blankly. She fidgeted under his gaze and her knees trembled a bit before she turned to another page and wrote again. 'Kimiko-sensei instructed me to tell you.' She was now starting to look upset as her gaze went from Kuroko, Kamiyama, and then Sawada. When the teal haired teen finally nodded faintly, still in a fit of disbelief, she literally bolted out of there.

His eyes found Sawada's which were wide with horror and similar disbelief.

"Submit the test for now and we'll continue tomorrow," Kuroko's voice didn't falter but he was already packing his things. "I need to see Ihara-kun," He accepted the papers quietly as the boys stared at him openly. Sawada appeared to be panicking but Kuroko refused to be swayed by the same emotion right now.

When he was done, he nodded at them before walking to the door and left the room.

Then, he went to the hospital.

* * *

When he arrived to the hospital, he had immediately asked for Ihara Shino.

He was directed to the room on second floor and was informed that the patient was now stable. It hadn't been until he had literally bumped into the doctor that had obviously checked up on Ihara did Kuroko discover that the case wasn't, thankfully, quite severe. But his friend had merely suffered an allergic reaction, his nodes around the throat had swelled and caused him to faint and collapse due to lack of air. Thankfully, it was fine now and Ihara was being kept there for the next twenty-four hours to monitor his treatment and recovery.

Just as he was about to enter Ihara's room, he saw a tall dark haired teen lounging outside by the waiting area quite anxiously.

Kuroko knew without a doubt that it was Yamamoto Takeshi. The 'Yamamoto-senpai' that Fujishima had mentioned.

Wordlessly, he approached the taller but younger teen. He saw the nervousness and guilt written all over the boy's expression and body language. He mentally counted to ten and thought of why their first day had to start off so badly. First, their skirmish with Disciplinary Committee Chairman this morning, then the unnecessary attention they had garnered due to said event, and now, Ihara was poisoned by his student _on the first day_. This had got to be some record. Even Aomine wasn't this unlucky, he thought wryly.

"Good afternoon, Yamamoto-kun," Kuroko greeted quietly and watched as the other flinched in surprise.

Then, Yamamoto proceeded to cringe when he noticed Kuroko's uniform, speaking of his reason for being there.

"I-I–" The dark haired teen faltered, shame shining in his brown eyes. "I didn't mean – I mean, I didn't know. I offered him a sweet bun and it was tou-san's special recipe since instead of red bean paste, it's made of some kind of sweetened tuna filling. I insisted to Ihara-senpai because he told me that he didn't like seafood. By the time that he admitted that it was because he's allergic, it was already too late," He tried to smile but it came off as strained as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Kuroko let the younger teen ramble and had to sigh. This was something he would expect of Kise, not this teen. But, hearing it, he couldn't actually hold a grudge against the boy when he was obviously so guilty about it. Though, he couldn't speak for Ihara.

"I don't blame you, Yamamoto-kun," He pacified quietly, his tone monotonous despite the reassurance he was trying to offer.

"Thank you, senpai," The teen beamed at him gratefully before staring at him curiously. "So, you're Tsuna's tutor?" Yamamoto grinned at him and Kuroko was slightly taken aback at the cheery attitude.

Kuroko tilted his head.

"Hai," He answered. "So, I can safely assume that you're Sawada-kun's friend," The teal haired teen pointed out matter-of-factly regardless of his wording.

"Ha-ha! Are you kidding?" Yamamoto laughed. "Tsuna's my best friend!" He proclaimed proudly but there was something in his eyes that told Kuroko there was something more to it. Though, he didn't pry. It wasn't his business.

Still, he was glad that the brunette had a friend.

"I'm glad that Sawada-kun has a friend," Kuroko commented his thought aloud. "Friends are good," He suddenly found himself reminiscing about his teammates, his _friends_, and wondered where they placed in each other's periphery. It was actually hard to tell and even if he had somehow gotten the mood of the 'new Akashi', the redhead still sent chills down his spine, and despite the show of tentative truce, Aomine hadn't actively approached him either.

Kuroko must've made a weird expression because Yamamoto was suddenly staring at him quite intently. He allowed the teen to do so and was actually taken aback when he was greeted by a warm smile.

"Let's be friends too then, senpai!" The dark haired teen suddenly proclaimed.

Kuroko blinked.

"So, what do you say, senpai?" Yamamoto held out his hand. "My name's Yamamoto Takeshi and I'm really, really, _really_ sorry about what happened to Ihara-senpai," He smiled sheepishly at this as he tried to mask his embarrassment.

Tentatively, he took the hand.

"I'm Kuroko Tetsuya," He introduced quietly with a weird feeling in his chest. "And it's my other friend that you just poisoned," He added dryly, trying to mask the humor behind it but judging from the younger boy's laugh, Yamamoto was quick to notice.

Though, he frowned when the dark haired boy stared at their hands which Yamamoto still hadn't let go off.

Somehow, Kuroko had a sense of déjà vu.

"Your hand is really _warm_, senpai!" Yamamoto commented lightly as he slowly let go of Kuroko's hand, staring at his own in silent contemplation before standing up. "Well, let's check up on Ihara-senpai, yeah?"

"Of course," Kuroko nodded and followed his example.

* * *

"You are _never_ allowed to bring any food to sessions again, you hear me, fool?" Ihara glowered at Yamamoto the moment they entered the hospital room.

Kuroko silently breathed out a sigh of relief. If Ihara was already able to give out threats like nobody's business again, then, the other boy was fine. Though, he looked a bit pale and slightly exhausted and his neck was wrapped in bandages which Kuroko didn't understand the reason for. Still, it surprised him that the other was already awake. He had thought that with what had happened, being poisoned by his student and all, he would've been still sleeping the stress away.

He had obviously underestimated Ihara.

"I'm really sorry about that, Ihara-senpai!" Yamamoto clasped his hands in front of him and gave a deep bow. "It was an honest mistake and I'll give you another sweet bun without seafood next time," The dark haired teen promised with a small laugh.

"_Absolutely not_," Ihara's voice was positively frosty. "You may have just succeeded in traumatizing me from eating another sweet bun in my entire existence," By this, the teen looked betrayed and Kuroko pitied him. Ihara Shino _loved_ sweets and, being averse to it, well, that was as tantamount to actually being told that the newspaper club was closing.

"Don't be like that, senpai!" The younger boy insisted with a frown.

"This is _your_ fault, you know?"

"I know! I know! And I'm sorry!"

"Fool! Who says I forgive you?"

Kuroko shook his head and was just glad that it was nothing severe. Things were going to be fine from now on, he resolutely decided that moment, despite their terrible start. Though, he was also going to make sure that there would be no seafood near Ihara for a while. If possible, for as long as he could help it.

* * *

"But we need to go to the hospital!" Tsuna fretted as they walked out of the school.

"I told you, didn't I?" Reborn reminded him casually, perched on the brunette's shoulder. "Let your subordinate fix this himself. He won't learn to be responsible if the boss is always covering for him," He lectured steadily as he lightly slapped Tsuna's cheek.

"Yeah!" Gokudera heartily agreed. "Let the idiot take the blame, it's his fault anyway!" He gritted out as he scowled.

"B-But, Yamamoto might need us–" Tsuna argued weakly, worried.

"How did the tutorial go, Dame-Tsuna?" Reborn asked bluntly, effectively changing the topic.

"You were there a while ago, why ask?" The brunette grumbled and yelped as his face instantly met the asphalt. Reborn jumped off his head and Tsuna twitched before sitting up, feeling a bump on his forehead while Gokudera was already assisting him to stand up.

"Juudaime, are you alright?" The silver haired teen fussed as he held an unsteady Tsuna by the elbow.

"I never said you can answer me sarcastically," Reborn calmly remarked as he stared at the brunette with his beady black eyes. "And, if you're going to be an idiot about this, I'm going to word it more specifically for your sake. What do you think of your new tutor?" He jumped on a random house's wall and crossed his arms, staring down the now shivering brunette.

_I like him better already…_

"I'm sure you'll like the extra laps later," The infant nonchalantly put in and Tsuna stared at him with wide eyes. Did the other just read his mind? "Now, answer the question before I decide that you'll make a better practice target for shooting later," He calmly added but his squeaky voice gained a dark timber.

Tsuna shuddered.

"Yeah, what's he like, Juudaime?" Gokudera tried to join in, trying to shift Reborn's attention from dangerous territory. "If he does anything unnecessary, I'll fucking blow him up! Just tell me, alright?" The bomber sounded a little _too eager_ to Tsuna.

"He's… fine," Tsuna struggled slightly. "He's actually considerate and he's really geared up for this, even though he doesn't look like it," He rubbed the back of his neck a little self-consciously. "But, when we shook hands, they're… _warm_. I don't know how to describe it, it just felt _warm_. I was nervous and I felt that warmth and I suddenly just wasn't. It's k-kind of odd." He admitted, a little confused himself.

Reborn's eyes narrowed.

* * *

_(–that I've given. At least, it appeared that they won't be giving me a hard time._

…

_Ihara-kun will be not available tomorrow. He had requested that I take over for him for one day until he was released from the hospital. Yamamoto-kun was a genuine boy, despite his slightly laid-back personality. He's also observant but apparently sometimes ignorant if we look at this accident. I never got to fully assess Fujishima-san but it was safe to say that she didn't like us from the start and the reason was already obvious._

_Thankfully, since Yamamoto-kun was Sawada-kun's friend, I told him to pass along the message to meet me after classes tomorrow, considering that ours would also be starting from tomorrow onwards. I'm sure that they can do the same with Kamiyama-kun._

_It wasn't until I got home by myself that I realized that I had totally forgotten about that voice earlier._

_Oddly enough, it sounded like a child.)_

* * *

_._

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**AN**: There isn't chaos yet! Wow! Though, except for Yamamoto's unintended poisoning his tutor and with Hibari.. Ok, there might have been some chaos but nothing as insane as the Vongola brand yet. I like having Kuroko's impressions and thoughts written out so his daily reports will be shown each chapter (as much as I can) and even Ihara's in the later chapters. And, Yamamoto's evaluation is obviously going to be a rocky road. I love Ihara and I love Fujishima but I haven't introduced her well enough yet.

Leave a review please. It makes my heart happy. Thank you to **Mirum Scriptor29**,** Nanase Haruka**,** R27-Shipper-4Ever**,** Death123123**,** BlackAndWhiteRoseWolf**,** Silenzioso**,** Celeste**,** Dareagon**,** Neellok**,** Weasel Fu**, and** caitycaterpillar**. Your thoughts about this story made me absolutely happy but for your inquiries, you would have to wait.

Review Review.


	3. Act of Will III

**AN**: Sorry for the late update! I've wanted to perfect this chapter first to my taste. Though, I'll try to be quick about my updates. I'm really thankful about those reviews and encouragement. Thank you for liking my story! I'm happy that people like this crossover as much as I do. Anyways, it was nice reading those reviews about how I made their day with this story. Thank you again.

**Warning(s)**: A little OOC. And there are some OCs that I've used, but they aren't mentioned much in this chapter. This is going to be _slow._ I'm going to maximize Kuroko's two month quota. Another is that this chapter is _kind of_ sombre, but there are still light-hearted parts.

**Pairing(s)**: None. I'm going to make this **GEN**.

**Disclaimer**: _I don't own Kuroko no Basuke or Katekyo Hitman Reborn_

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* * *

[**Chapter Three: Act of Will III**]

* * *

To his relief, there was a cafe near the market district that sold vanilla milkshakes. He had meant to look for a stall that had vanilla milkshakes in their menu with Ihara on their way home but with the other boy hospitalized, Kuroko had no choice other than to go alone. Still, he had been about to give up on his venture since none of the fast-food joints in Namimori seemed to have vanilla flavored milkshakes and appeared to favor chocolate, strawberry, or even watermelon flavors instead.

So, it had been a surprise when his last option turned out to be a café that sold confectionaries and a variety of coffee-flavored deserts. Kuroko was pleased since he knew that Ihara would love the place with the other boy's fixation on sweets.

Sipping his vanilla milkshake leisurely as he entered their apartment, he instantly went to the refrigerator to store the slices of vanilla torte and lemon meringue pie for him and his roommate. Kuroko had also bought a box of manjū and daifuku for Sawada and Kamiyama tomorrow. Though, he also had Yamamoto and Fujishima in mind when buying the Japanese sweets since he knew that he would be handling them tomorrow as well. He would've preferred Ihara to be with them but the other boy would be discharged around tomorrow evening.

Just as he sat down on the couch, his phone rang.

Without looking at the caller ID, the teal haired teen answered the call just as he finished his vanilla milkshake.

"Hello?"

"_Kuroko!_" An enthusiastic voice boomed from the other line and Kuroko winced at the loud volume. "_How are you? You're not in Tokyo right now, right? You idiot! Why didn't you tell me! I had to know from your grandmother, you know!_" The owner of the voice babbled excitedly and rapidly.

"I'm glad to hear from you as well, Ogiwara-kun," Kuroko deadpanned dryly.

"_You're an official tutor now, huh? I called you back at your house last night since my cell phone's dead and granny informed me about your little trip_," The voice became sly at this and the teal haired teen could almost feel his friend's curiosity bubbling. "_Wow, I'm so envious right now. Though, I'm a little put off that you didn't tell me,_" There was no accusation in the other's tone despite the words and Kuroko instead heard the playful timbre that Ogiwara seemed to prefer.

"I apologize since the preparations kept me busy," He answered calmly but there was sincere guilt in his tone. "Yes, I've just met my students today," He informed as he leaned back on the couch comfortably.

"_So…_" Ogiwara trailed off almost innocently, a grin in his voice. "_Do I have to call you Kuroko-sensei now?_"

"If that is how you prefer it," Kuroko answered grimly and trying to keep the smile from leaking into his voice. "In fact, Ogiwara-kun should've started addressing me that back in elementary as I've been helping you from failing your math tests," He remarked almost serenely.

This time, he didn't stop the smile from creeping up his lips as he heard Ogiwara's indignant sputters from the other line.

"_You really don't play fair, Kuroko,_" Ogiwara whined with a huff of laughter. "_Okay, you got me with that one. Still, Namimori, right? What's it like there? No one's bullying you, yeah? Because if there is, I'll teach them a lesson,_" His voice sounded genuinely menacing but Kuroko was only amused.

"No one is bullying me. Ogiwara-kun doesn't have to worry," The teal haired teen merely placated gently. "Namimori is peaceful and beautiful as well. It's a small town so the people around here seemed to know each other very closely. I came here with a schoolmate who's also a volunteer. I think you will like him but, unfortunately, he isn't here right now as he is admitted in the hospital when his student accidentally fed him with something that he's allergic to,"

If his childhood friend was here, Kuroko was certain that he would be wincing in Ihara's behalf.

"_Ouch, that's, uh, unlucky?_" Ogiwara chuckled nervously. "_That's really mean._ _Well, we'll see if I'll really like him then when I meet him. The reason that I actually called you right now was because I was so excited!_" He exclaimed enthusiastically.

Kuroko became suspicious as he processed the other's words carefully.

"What do you mean?" He queried cautiously.

"_Mochida Kazuki, our captain, planned our team's training camp next week. Guess where we're headed~?_" The other boy sang out mischievously.

The teal haired teen frowned.

"Don't tell me in Namimori–" He started to say with trepidation.

"_Nope! But close!_" Ogiwara cut him off cheerfully. "_You see, our coach knows this dude who owns a hot spring establishment in Takayama. And, Takayama's like, practically next to Namimori! So, imagine how awesomely happy I was when I heard from granny that you're in Namimori! I already got permission from the team to visit you there for an overnight! Isn't that just great? Huh? Huh? We'll see each other next week!_" He sounded like a child on sugar high, Kuroko thought.

Kuroko sighed exasperatedly at the other's exuberance.

"Well, I'll be looking forward to it then," He responded with something close to fondness in his voice. "And I'm grateful that you've thought to warn me about this. I would be able to accommodate your arrival then," He continued with subtle relief in his voice.

"_I actually thought of surprising you,_" Ogiwara admitted sheepishly with a snicker. "_But then, I thought that I might just get lost there if no one knew I'd be there._"

Kuroko's eyebrow twitched slightly in annoyance at the unabashed admission.

"If you did do that, I would pretend that I didn't know any Ogiwara Shigehiro," He deadpanned wryly, voice dangerously flat to convey that he wasn't joking.

"_Hey, that's kind of cold_," Ogiwara hummed and Kuroko wondered how he could _hear_ the pout in his friend's voice. Though, before Ogiwara could continue his complaints about Kuroko's supposed 'cold treatment', there was high-pitched yelling that could be heard from the other line and sharp raps on the door. "_Yeah, yeah! Well, that's mom, I need to be down for dinner. Anyways, it was nice talking to you, Kuroko. Don't forget to email me this time, alright? I really want to know how you're doing there,_"

"I understand," Kuroko acquiesced easily. "Then, I'll see Ogiwara-kun next week,"

"_Of course!_" Ogiwara vehemently insisted. "_Until next time then! We'll celebrate my birthday next week too~!_" He hastily reminded, voice still as bright, as he hung up.

With that, the line was cut off and Kuroko breathed out slowly as the conversation ended, even if it had been rather abrupt. Now, he felt somehow excited himself that he'd get to see his childhood friend once again. The last time they saw each other had been during the Nationals in their second year. And Ogiwara had been upset about losing against Kamata West. At least, his friend seemed to be in high spirits once again as Kuroko didn't like hearing his friend cry.

Though, now that Ogiwara mentioned it, his friend's birthday was on August 10th. But, if the other boy would arrive next week, the celebration would be a belated event by then. Maybe he should prepare something instead?

Still, he had no doubt that Ihara and Ogiwara would get along.

* * *

**Day Two - **_**XXXX**_

Waking up to an empty apartment made Kuroko feel a bit lonely.

He wasn't aware that he had grown accustomed to Ihara's presence that fast. Though, he woke up a bit earlier than normal to do a morning jog around the residential area of the town. It wouldn't do for Akashi to suddenly call and be forced to inform his captain that he hadn't started any form of exercise to keep up his training. So, dressing in a simple gray shirt and black sweatpants that he rolled up just below his knees, Kuroko stepped out of the apartment in his white sneakers at the peak of dawn.

It was cold and slightly foggy. Kuroko took this as an opportunity to know the residential area better. At this time, most of the people were still asleep since only few could be seen out and about and most of them were elderly people. He set his pace for a light jog to regulate his breathing first before quickening his speed. He knew that his stamina wasn't the most ideal but Kuroko could run numerous laps as long as he didn't overexert himself.

The park wasn't actually that far from their apartment and there was even a nearby street court directly across from it. Thankfully, his mother had thoughtfully sent him his basketball and equipment after him which would be arriving tomorrow. She said that it was to keep himself busy since he had been somewhat focused on the sport too much.

Upon passing it, he resolved to do another two laps before stopping there to do some light stretches. Kuroko knew that this was actually light compared to the training regime that Akashi dished out to their team. So, it hadn't been actually that much of a big deal even if a lap here seemed to equate to five laps around Teikou's gym. Still, just as he was about to reach the park and finish his last lap, he hadn't expected to be bowled over by someone.

Sometimes, he actually despised his low presence since there were times, just like this, that proved to be an inconvenience.

"Eh?" Someone voiced out in wonder. "There was someone there? I am EXTREMELY sorry!"

Kuroko winced slightly, he had scraped his elbow when he had fallen on the ground, as he stood up. As soon as he did, he flinched at the face that was too close to his for his own comfort. He took a step back to distance himself from the white haired teen.

"Wow!" The other exclaimed, gray eyes wide. "You're EXTREMELY invisible!" He loudly commented.

Kuroko didn't take offense to the comment. Already accustomed to it.

"I apologize for being in your way," Kuroko bowed slightly, despite the obvious being that it had been somewhat the other's main fault.

"So you're taking a jog as well?" The white haired teen asked with a wide grin. "That's admirable! It's actually rare to see someone out this early!" He continued to talk in that loud voice and Kuroko started taking notice of the speech pattern of the unknown boy.

For some reason, this person reminded Kuroko of Kise who had consumed too much sugar: excitable and extremely _loud_. The other was dressed in red sweatpants with a red jacket, though, he didn't seem to be wearing anything other than the jacket that exposed his well-built stature. His hands were wrapped in bandages and he also had another one taped on the bridge of his nose. He was slightly taller than Kuroko but his presence was so overwhelming.

"Then, I'll be on my way," He politely tried to excuse himself but the other boy seemed to have other ideas.

"No, no!" The other boy frowned as he raised a bandaged hand to Kuroko's face, effectively stopping him. "You should jog with me!" He declared abruptly.

"I'm sorry but I already finished my laps," Kuroko couldn't help but deadpan at the other, slightly perturbed that the other teen was practically willing to pull along a stranger with him. "I will have to respectfully decline," He refused courteously because, despite the somewhat outrageous offer, the other had been actually honest about it.

"Then, are you, by any chance, EXTREMELY willing to join the boxing club?" The unknown teen was practically yelling with how loud he was being.

"No," Kuroko shook his head sharply at this.

At his answer, the teen deflated, obviously dejected, before brightening once again as his eyes seemed to burn with literal fire. Kuroko briefly wondered just how many more times he would be hearing the word 'extreme' from the other. It seemed to be a verbal tic or a catchphrase.

"Then, tell me if you change your mind! My name is Sasagawa Ryohei! To the EXTREME!" His voice was now _booming_ and slightly deafening.

The teal haired teen looked around them and was inwardly surprised that there weren't any people yelling at them for being too noisy. Or, they already knew about this loud teen and were, therefore, grudgingly used to it.

"My name is Kuroko Tetsuya," Kuroko bowed at the other.

"Then I'll see you around, Kuroko!" The teen, Sasagawa, pumped his fist in the air as he ran forward, leaving a very bewildered Kuroko behind.

What an odd boy. Though, for some reason, his name sounded familiar.

Shrugging off the strange encounter, he proceeded to the empty street court for his stretches. He couldn't wait to tell Ihara about this development.

* * *

When he got back, he took a quick shower to refresh himself before going to school.

After that, he did his morning routine and carefully checked if he had everything he needed for today. Especially since he would be officially attending his classes. Looking down at the new form that Nanako-san had given them yesterday, it was for them to choose which club they would join. Apparently, despite the temporary transfer, they still had to fulfill the school's own requirements and club hours had been included.

Fortunately, they had been given a week to decide especially since the choice had been limited unlike the numerous ones back in Teikou. Kuroko was hesitant about joining this school's basketball club. It might be loyalty to his team back in Teikou but he didn't think that he would be joining it here.

Looking through the list given to them, Kuroko thought that he might join the literature club.

As usual, he had stopped by the convenience store to buy his packed lunch.

When he reached the gates of Namimori Middle School, the first thing that Kuroko instantly noticed was the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee leaning on the wall just beside the gate. The dark haired teen's glare seemed to penetrate through the nervous students who immediately scampered into the campus.

Taking heed of Ihara's advice, he calmly strolled into the premises and paid no attention to Hibari Kyouya.

For some odd reason, the other seemed to think otherwise as he blocked Kuroko's way with his arm, holding that strange metallic weapon from yesterday. If Kuroko was surprised that he had been noticed today, he didn't show it and opted to eye the weapon warily.

"You're a strange herbivore," Hibari remarked flatly but his eyes were gleaming with something that put the teal haired teen on his guard.

Kuroko had no idea what the other was talking about. While he favored vegetables, he ate his share of meat. So, he didn't really understand why the other was addressing him as an 'herbivore'. Come to think of it, this teen had also addressed Ihara the same way. This had been the first time that he had met someone who referred to other people by their food preferences. But, he wasn't stupid as to actually voice this out. Hibari struck him as the kind of person who took offense to many things as an excuse to fight.

Deciding that he needed to tread carefully, he nodded to the other politely.

"Good morning, Hibari-kun," He greeted as amiably as he could as he closely watched the other.

The other's eyes narrowed at him sharply.

"The principal told us about you since our unpleasant encounter yesterday," Kuroko answered the unvoiced question, not wanting to provoke him. Though, they were actually _warned_ but he wasn't that cruel as to sell out the school staff to this admittedly fearsome teen.

Before he could say anything, the dark haired teen grabbed his elbow and abruptly spun him on his place. If he had been able to look at the other's expression as Hibari did this, then Kuroko would have been wary and even disturbed at the interest in those predatory eyes. In fact, the students, who were witnessing the spectacle once they got over their own shock at Kuroko's sudden appearance, had pity written on their expressions.

Kuroko stumbled as he regained his balance and he was actually annoyed by the other's action.

Once he noticed the attention that currently centered on them, the teal haired teen decided that he had enough and proceeded to use misdirection. For a moment, he thought that it wouldn't work on Hibari but judging the way the other's countenance had stiffened (and was obviously trying to appear unaffected), his technique was still versatile and Kuroko used that opportunity to finally enter the grounds and into the school building.

Students who had watched him disappear were murmuring to themselves and tried to frantically look for him.

He knew that there would be _hell_ to pay for later but it didn't mean anything if Hibari wouldn't see him.

* * *

Morning classes had been uneventful. His current homeroom teacher, Hajime Misaki, had been flustered after he had been about to mark Kuroko as absent when the teal haired teen had been in front the whole time. His classmates were in awe of his 'ghost-like' powers and Kuroko exasperatedly wondered what else the rumors had made up about him. Though, his supposed powers' relation to his earlier encounter with Hibari was now suspiciously absent from the mill, as well as Ihara's.

The classes had been fine, though, some of the teachers were obviously nervous and pressured. Evidently trying their best to impress him. That had been expected and he had opted to monitor his classmates' progress instead to make a more astute observation. The others understood the lessons and class order was observed very well.

Still, if rumors were to be believed (there was a large niggling doubt at this, Kuroko thought wryly), there had been a fraud who had forged his credentials in order to be a teacher last year. The man was said to be biased and always played favorites, while putting down students he had deemed useless to society.

The only indication that had supported the rumor was a student in his class who had just recently come back to school after being terrorized into temporarily quitting by said teacher.

Kuroko was not an idealist. At least not by choice. So, he couldn't be blind to the fact that this case was actually common and he knew that this wouldn't be the last. Even Teikou had gone through the same painful process before (to which Aomine had been targeted during their first year). Still, he couldn't judge the school's system based on one class and he had a lot of things to learn before he could even criticize a single thing.

As lunch time finally came, Kuroko went through the motions of silently packing his things when someone barged into the classroom.

"Kuroko-senpai!" A familiar upbeat voice called out.

Looking at the doorway, Yamamoto Takeshi was standing there as his head swiveled around the class in an obvious search for him. The other teen didn't seem bothered by the stares and some of his classmates had even come forward to either exchange greetings or to simply just call out to the younger teen.

"Good luck in your game next week, eh, Yamamoto!" One of the third years stated as he patted Yamamoto on the shoulder.

"Ha-ha, thanks, senpai!" The dark haired teen grinned genially. "Anyways, have you seen Kuroko-senpai?" He queried as his eyes peered around curiously.

Kuroko sighed and silently made his way to the doorway.

"Eh?" The third year, whom Kuroko remembered to have been introduced as 'Nohara', replied in confusion as he followed Yamamoto's example. "He was just here a while ago," He muttered in stunned perplexity as he failed to spot the teal haired teen.

To Kuroko's own surprise, just as he reached them, Yamamoto had been quick to notice him.

"Kuroko-senpai!" Yamamoto beamed at him.

Nohara and their other classmates who had been closed by all jumped in surprise, eyeing Kuroko with wide terrified eyes. Yamamoto, though, was merely grinning at him. Usually, people didn't notice him until he had announced his presence. But now that he thought about it, the same had occurred a while ago with Hibari, who had glared at him darkly when he had been about to enter the school. He wondered what changed.

"Hello, Yamamoto-kun," He nodded to the younger teen. "Did you need something?"

"Yeah," The dark haired teen nodded eagerly. "I'm inviting you to have lunch with us! Well, I figured that since we're friends, let's eat lunch together!" Yamamoto declared cheerfully, already stirring Kuroko out of the room by lightly pushing him as he waved back to the still stunned third years left behind.

"But–" Kuroko tried to protest.

"Hey, don't be like that," Yamamoto chided him good-naturedly. "Without Ihara-senpai around, surely it must be lonely, ne?" This time, there was a subtle intensity in his gaze when he said this as they walked along the slightly crowded halls.

"I'm sure that Ihara-kun appreciates your efforts," Kuroko deadpanned at him.

"Really?" The other returned thoughtfully before smiling widely. "I'm really glad then! Though, it's too bad that he's allergic to seafood. You see, my family owns a sushi shop a few blocks away from school and my dad's good at his thing. It's a shame since he wants Ihara-senpai to come over after what I did," He laughed as he scratched the back of his head.

Kuroko was amused.

"It's just Ihara-kun's luck for his student to be a seafood-oriented person," He remarked rather wryly. "Thankfully, I've discovered something that would certainly lift up his mood," Kuroko revealed calmly, thinking about the café from where he managed to buy his dose of vanilla milkshake.

"That's good," Yamamoto sighed happily but the relief on his face could be easily read. Then, he suddenly started to grin slyly at Kuroko as they reached a stairwell that, if Kuroko's assumption was correct, led to the rooftop. "Still, I heard about how you ditched Hibari this morning. They said that you literally _disappeared_ on him! Kuroko-senpai is hard to keep track off but Hibari's on a whole other level. So, what you did was very cool," He praised with awe and, if Kuroko wasn't mistaken, glee.

Well, now that he was reminded of that encounter, if Kuroko didn't know any better, Hibari had been waiting for him. The dark haired teen had been aware of his presence (just _what_ changed? Yesterday, the teen had been about to lob his head off for appearing out of nowhere on him) and they had caught each other's eyes before Kuroko used his misdirection on him to get out of harm's way.

And he was glad that he did. Though, he hadn't been aware that the incident had made its way into the rumor mill. It was a wonder why Hibari hadn't hunted him down. He certainly seemed like the person who would actually do that kind of thing, if Kuroko had to honestly think about it.

Now that Yamamoto mentioned it, there was something that had been nagging Kuroko.

"How did you see me?" He asked curiously, staring at the other blankly. "I have a very weak presence to the point of invisibility. No one actually notices until I made my presence known."

Sadly, that was the case. In the end, it had been a set of circumstances where people either became unaffected overtime, could appear unbothered despite the scare or surprise, or was plainly shocked out of their skin. The second condition obviously applied to Hibari Kyouya.

Yamamoto appeared to be confused by his query.

"I didn't think it was that bad…" He admitted quietly, voice unreadable. "Well, as for your question, that's actually hard to explain. I just know Kuroko-senpai's there! Isn't that strange? Since when I met you at the hospital, I didn't know you were in front of me until you called my name! Ha-ha, but now, it's like tingly or something," He chuckled sheepishly at this, offering the teal haired teen an apologetic smile.

_Tingly?_ Kuroko thought with inward disbelief.

When they reached the rooftop, Kuroko had to squint his eyes at how bright it was. It was actually his first time having lunch in this part of any school. When he had been in elementary and during his first days in Teikou, he only ate lunch in the classroom since he would stay unbothered with how people didn't easily take notice of him. When he became part of the basketball club, Akashi had demanded that he ate with the team in the cafeteria where the captain proceeded to monitor his meal, making sure that he ate more than he normally did.

Now that he thought of it–

"Say, Yamamoto-kun," Kuroko started as he looked around. "Aren't you supposed to eat lunch with your friends? Like Sawada-kun?"

The dark haired teen smiled sheepishly at him.

"Well, Tsuna and Gokudera are _supposed_ to eat with us," Yamamoto was obviously stalling as he rubbed the back of his head. "But, well, they got in trouble with Ikeda-sensei a while ago. So, they're in the faculty room right now. But, maa, maa, don't worry about it! I'm sure that they aren't in too much trouble," He waved off with a grin as he sat on the ground. "It's too bad though, Gokudera really wants to meet you!" He beamed.

"Is that so?" Kuroko merely hummed as he sat across the younger teen.

"Yep!" The dark haired teen nodded. "But, I guess that he'll just have to meet you some other time," He shrugged his shoulder as he undid the knot of the cloth wrapped around his bento.

Kuroko observed Yamamoto for a few seconds before bringing out his purchased packed lunch from the convenience store and a pair of chopsticks. The taste wasn't as flavored as his mother's cooking but it wasn't bland either, so, he guessed that it would have to do. Maybe after they had settled into town much better, he and Ihara could allot some time into preparing their own lunches. Even if he wasn't a stellar home-cook, Kuroko already had his own experience in preparing his own bento and how he preferred it.

Just as he took his first bite of his tonkatsu and rice, Kuroko felt a weight settle on his shoulder.

"Ciaossu!" A squeaky voice greeted.

Kuroko tilted his head and stared. And _really_ stared. Because, unless his eyes were deceiving him, he was looking at what appeared to be _a two year old _at most standing steadily and securely on his shoulder, a sort of graceful balance on the toddler's posture. Oddly enough, he was dressed in an all-black suit save for the red dress shirt. On his head was a large fedora hat with a thick orange stripe running across its sides. The other peculiar things on his person were the lizard-like creature on the brim of his hat and the round yellow pacifier fastened around his neck.

Also, were children even allowed in school?

"Hey kid!" Yamamoto greeted cheerfully, wiggling his chopsticks about. "Are you here to have lunch as well? I have sushi!" He offered amiably.

"I already had lunch but the offer is appreciated, Yamamoto," The kid tilted his fedora hat in acknowledgement before looking Kuroko directly in the eye with wide beady black eyes.

For a moment, Kuroko got the impression that the child was surprised. He had that spark in his eyes that said he already knew what to expect, but whatever he saw on Kuroko's face, he still hadn't been entirely prepared for it. Though, as soon as the teal haired teen caught that glimpse, it had been quickly concealed and replaced by unabashed curiosity.

Somehow, he had this feeling that he shouldn't step out of line with this boy.

He had been a fan of the supernatural along with mysteries ever since he was a kid–a trait that he shared with Ogiwara. And he knew that he was in the presence of one because one look at those intelligent eyes and taking note of that grace no two-year old should be in possession of told Kuroko enough. He had already heard of child geniuses before but there are some things that just couldn't be put into perspective so easily. Especially the fluency of speech despite the childish tones.

Not to mention, that hum of power that he only ever encountered on Hibari Kyouya so far.

_This is no ordinary boy_…

"My name's Kuroko Tetsuya," Kuroko introduced impassively. "A pleasure," He dipped his head politely.

"You're Tsuna's tutor," The boy pointed out bluntly, smirking. "I'm Reborn and it's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance as well," There was an odd undertone in his voice, the one that his mother seemed to usually take up around unknown people she met just for the sake of formality.

"And he's also Tsuna's tutor! He's really smart!" Yamamoto put in. "Just like Kuroko-senpai!"

_What?_

"Sawada Tsunayoshi is going to be the Tenth Head of the Vongola Famiglia, the most powerful mafia famiglia in all of Italy." Reborn declared straightforwardly and rather confidently. "And I'm going to ensure that he'll be strong enough to take the mantle one day." The child then smirked as he hopped off from Kuroko's shoulder and gracefully turned around to face the bewildered teal haired teen.

"Yeah!" Yamamoto cheerily agreed. "Tsuna's involved in this kid's game! And I'm already a member of Tsuna's family," He grinned at this, but for such a careless and seemingly oblivious statement, Kuroko didn't miss the momentary clenching of the younger teen's hand over his chopsticks.

Mafia. That was something he hadn't heard in a while. Though, he was outwardly calm, he was actually in a state of disbelief on the inside. Because, no matter how sincere they had sounded about their words, Kuroko just couldn't wrap his head around the idea that these teenagers were involved in that kind of business. But, thinking logically about it, _if_ he _did_ believe them, that would mean that he was in a precarious territory.

"And," Reborn drawled as he tilted down his fedora hat, a noticeably dark smirk on his cherubic face.

Kuroko didn't like the sound of that as he stared at the other cautiously.

"I have a proposition for _you_,"

* * *

"Due to the incident yesterday," Kuroko started as normally as he could. "I've been allowed access to one of the consultation rooms once again. Seeing as we hadn't finished the evaluations, we will spend the entire afternoon finishing this so we can officially start tomorrow. I know some of you are chagrined but this is one of the effective ways to make this arrangement work," As he announced this, he distributed the copies of the questionnaires from before. All blank.

"A-Again?" Sawada squawked in horror.

Kuroko lowered his gaze to the coffee table, not meeting his student's gaze.

"Yes, Sawada-kun," He replied softly with a sigh.

"It's all right, Sawada-san," Kamiyama placated with a pale face. "I know your pain," The well-built teen muttered under his breath.

They were situated on the couches of the consultation room. The wide windows were left open and while the three teenagers sat comfortably on the long couch, Fujishima was positioned near the window and quite a distance from all the males in the room. While the Kamiyama and Sawada were confused by this behavior, Kuroko had been understanding and merely handed over the necessary papers from a reachable gap between them.

She also hadn't spoken a word since she entered but Yamamoto had amiably greeted her and didn't say anything with regards to her behavior so Kuroko had to assume that the boy had some idea as to what her situation was. At least, what she preferred for the rest of them as she continuously fidgeted in her seat.

While Kuroko had been better at hiding it with the occasional flinch and twitch, he noticed that Yamamoto had been jumpy every time a loud noise was heard. It seemed that he hadn't been the only one left uneasy with the encounter a while ago. Though, he had to say that Sawada had a penchant for sensing their tension from his concerned glances. The teal haired teen knew that while Yamamoto was _aware_ of Reborn's potential, the dark haired teen hadn't been _that_ prepared.

"Uhm, Kuroko-senpai," Sawada suddenly called and, this time, Kuroko met the brunette's gaze blankly. But, he hesitated before shaking his head. "N-Never mind," He mumbled quietly before going back to scribbling on his papers quietly.

Yamamoto was eyeing Sawada quite intently at that before frowning and also going back to his task.

To distract himself and resisting the urge to look over his shoulder, Kuroko rummaged through his folders and grabbed a blank information sheet. For a few moments, his mind seemed to be going elsewhere.

Mafia. That was something he honestly hadn't heard in a while. He and his family, to Kuroko's point of view, were living normal lives. Especially in the present. But, when he had been younger, he and his family moved a lot due to his father's job. It hadn't been until he reached third grade that he discovered that his father had been unintentionally caught up in mafia affairs and had truthfully been running away from certain people for years.

Kuroko remembered the fear and his mother's shaky insistence that everything would be fine.

His father is an honest man but also a genius who particularly thrives in science.

The man had studied in varying universities from different countries before meeting his mother in Yale University, taking his courses in biomedical engineering, microbiology, and neuroscience. Some years after that which they had been dating, his parents had married and had him a year after that.

Though, when they finally settled in Tokyo, his father had confessed that he had been scouted to work for a science laboratory located in Venice, Italy just a few months after his marriage to Kuroko's mother. The man admitted that he had enjoyed his job there of almost six years and even worked to have his family transferred to Italy. But that was until the man started to have doubts regarding some of their activities and eventually discovered that the institution he had been working for had actually been a private society under the mafia.

Continuing the story, the man had wasted no time and left the society for his family in Japan. Kuroko wasn't exactly clear on the details about the men after his father or why _exactly_ they were after him but they had moved around Japan a lot. It's a wonder they hadn't even been caught but his father just tiredly stated that he wasn't a genius for nothing.

He also didn't know what had happened when they finally stayed in one place in Tokyo. But, his father had been absolutely certain that they wouldn't have to run anymore. His father was currently teaching Mathematics and Physics in Tokyo University and his mother was a doctor in a hospital located in Shibuya. While he and Midorima weren't particularly close, they sometimes had to see each other when Kuroko's mother and Midorima's father, who were colleagues, planned conjoined family dinners.

It was because of his fully accomplished parents that pushed Kuroko to try harder in his studies. While he was no genius like them, he eventually earned himself a scholarship in Teikou Junior High, the number one middle school in Tokyo. His parents didn't pressure him and they also didn't say anything about his taking up of basketball.

But Kuroko felt that he owed them at least that much.

Still, after finally settling in one place and living with his parents and maternal grandmother, Kuroko had actually been content with his normal life and hadn't even thought of his father's previous inadvertent involvement with the mafia. In fact, he almost forgot about it because it had been already five years since then.

Until a particular baby hitman had appeared before him and threatened him at gunpoint.

Shaking his head to clear those thoughts, he finally concentrated on the information sheet before him. Somehow, he didn't feel as light-hearted today compared to yesterday. For now, he wouldn't let it bother him and focus mainly on accomplishing his task as a tutor.

After all, that was the real reason why he was even in Namimori in the first place.

_Date: August 8th of 2XXX_

_Day: Two_

_Academic Volunteer Personnel: Kuroko Tetsuya (__黒子__テツヤ__)_

_Student under Tutelage: Sawada Tsunayoshi __(__沢田__綱吉__); Kamiyama Takumi (__神山 __拓実__)_

_Temporary: Yamamoto Takeshi (__山本 武__); Fujishima Mei (__藤島 めい__)_

_School: Namimori Middle School (134 Suburbia Street, Namimori, Gifu Prefecture, Japan)_

_Activity: Orientation & Assessment (part ii)_

_Remark:_

_(Namimori is pretty accurate on their curriculum and the teachers in my class have displayed proficiency in their designated subjects. Students weren't necessarily assigned study groups similar in Teikou but teachers always raise it as a suggestion. The students can keep up with the lessons and they also showed promise in terms of dedication and hard work. However, there are still those who laze in class but they had enough presence of mind not to disrupt lessons._

_Most teachers are nervous and showed signs of anxiety due to the obvious presence of a student from Teikou. Also, it has been confirmed by my homeroom teacher that Namimori Middle School has also encountered unpleasant people under their employment. Such is the case from just last year. It seems that no school is immune to this kind of obstacle when it comes to hiring their teaching personnel._

_The students in my class are forthcoming and helpful when it comes to questions regarding the school. One thing that I've easily noticed is that the students in Namimori are particularly closed-knit to the point that they know almost each other's issues from everyone in the school. And those who had escaped this scrutiny had rumors following after their heels. This is the situation that Ihara-kun and I have to deal with on our first day as we are technically the unknowns._

_So far, none have actively approach me yet but I have been warned by the boys in my class that it is only a matter of time before my partner and I are overwhelmed by the student population's curiosity._

_Namimori Middle School's students have also no qualms about believing in the supernatural as seen by their rather blasé attitude and subsequent interest on my 'ghost-like' powers as part of the phenomenon that comes with my weak presence and utilization of a basketball technique called 'misdirection' on them. The teachers don't seem to have any problems with regards to this and it only points in the direction that this school is, somehow, highly affected by strange occurrences to support this speculation._

_Student Observations:_

_Kamiyama Takumi (__神山 __拓実__) is late to the session, similar to Yamamoto, due to sports club activities. While I am a bit concerned that his exhaustion might affect his performance regarding the tutorial sessions, he had admitted that his captain was giving him some time off to focus on his studies so he wouldn't be left behind. Kamiyama-kun is obviously upset about this but he has assured me that his captain did it so that his low grades wouldn't hold him back from still being part of the club._

_It wasn't also until Kamiyama-kun spoke of his captain that I remembered. Sasagawa Ryohei is the captain of the boxing club. And I met him this morning during an early jog around the neighborhood. While it is quite displeasing that I've forgotten this important detail, I finally got a glimpse of the person that one of my students idolizes. Sasagawa-kun seems to be a pleasant, albeit __**very**__ loud, person. But even I have seen his dedication to his chosen sport just from that first meeting._

_At least, I am now very certain that Kamiyama-kun's enthusiasm and commitment stems from Sasagawa-kun's own steadfastness._

_Checking some of the papers that he and Sawada-kun have already answered, I am quite perplexed that all of the math problems, which had been the first category on the questionnaire, have all been left blank by Kamiyama-kun. Though, so far, he seems to have a higher aptitude for social studies. Seeing as he didn't get to finish answering, I would still have to wait and see if it was truly the subject he excelled in._

_Sawada Tsunayoshi __(__沢田__綱吉__) has lost some of his nervousness around me. Even though he is still hesitant when addressing me, I'm relieved that he didn't actively shy away from me either. I have… confirmed that Sawada-kun has been under another person's tutelage before this arrangement. While that person is obviously intelligent and knows his material well, I can safely deduct that his methods in teaching might be similar to the late Spartan method that is still used in some of the traditionalist schools. But I can't confirm that much seeing as I have no idea what _exactly_ his methods are._

_I have learned from Yamamoto-kun that Sawada-kun often gets into trouble with most teachers. While I find this a bit disconcerting, Yamamoto-kun insists that Sawada-kun is merely unlucky and sometimes takes punishment with their other friend, Gokudera Hayato, seeing as said friend has some problems with adults and authority figures in general. Though initially worried, Yamamoto-kun has assured me that Gokudera-kun is loyal to Sawada-kun and has even warned me that their friend might be overzealous seeing as I am now in an influential position with regards to Sawada-kun, which I find a bit befuddling._

_Similar to Kamiyama-kun, I have checked Sawada-kun's papers and am surprised to see that he, unlike Kamiyama-kun, has answered the math problems. It has been easy to see that he has some problems with regards to answering judging by the continuous erasures of the solutions. Even though most of the answers are incorrect, Sawada-kun displayed some knowledge when it comes to theory and only has some holes that needed to be fixed._

_The other categories, though, were answered randomly. Some questions were left unanswered but it was apparent that he skipped certain questions he didn't know. I was informed by Sawada-kun's previous tutor that Sawada-kun had vastly improved, even to a minimal degree. That is why that while some answers are incorrect, Sawada-kun displayed some confidence in other questions that required explanations, even if lacking._

_Though, I have to say, he and Kamiyama-kun are bordering on dramatic when it comes to tests and I am starting to suspect that this will be a constant occurrence between us._

_Temporary Observations:_

_Yamamoto Takeshi __(__山本 武__) is my temporary student until Ihara-kun is released from the hospital later this evening. Together with his laidback personality, I have quickly become aware of his perceptiveness when I had the pleasure of spending my lunch hour with him this afternoon. While he is ignorant regarding some things, he can be frighteningly observant on some cases and there are things that barely escape his notice then._

_He is quite content on the temporary arrangement and has displayed a great guilt about Ihara-kun's situation–)_

Again, he was cut off from continuing his writing when the door to the consultation room was slammed open. This felt a lot like déjà vu and Kuroko almost dreaded facing the door just in case his misfortune actually continued throughout his second day.

To his surprise, a little boy was standing on the doorway. But remembering his encounter this afternoon, Kuroko's guard immediately went up.

"Where's Dame-Tsuna?" The boy demanded petulantly as his large green eyes surveyed the room. He was dressed in a full body cow suit and his hair was styled in a very fluffy looking afro with horns placed on the sides, effectively making him appear as cow-like child.

"_Lambo_?!" Sawada shot up from his seat and screamed upon sighting the kid. "What are you doing here?" His eyes were wide with panic as he approached the door, obviously trying to stop the other from entering.

"Play with Lambo~!" The boy, Lambo, whined as he instantly latched onto Sawada's leg when the brunette was close enough.

Sawada was sweating as he nervously met Kuroko's eyes.

"Hey, Lambo," Yamamoto was quick to intervene with a wide grin. "You and Tsuna can play later. You see, we're a bit busy right now," He tried to mollify the boy.

"No!" The other denied as he stuck his tongue out. "Dame-Tsuna will play with Lambo!"

Kuroko stared at Kamiyama and Fujishima who appeared to be as lost as he was about the sudden strange situation. Though, he breathed a sigh of relief as he became certain that, unlike Reborn, this Lambo was actually a child. He didn't know what to think about the other but his proposition still made Kuroko wary and that encounter still made him and Yamamoto feel a bit troubled with regards to it. Even if he had heard of the mafia, it had never felt so real to Kuroko as it did that afternoon.

Standing up, he approached Sawada who was trying to calm down a complaining boy.

"Lambo, please, _just this once_–" The brunette was outright begging by this point, it seemed. "I'll even buy you grape candies!"

"Really?" The boy asked in awe before slowly letting go of the other's leg. "Fine but Dame-Tsuna also has to buy Lambo ice cream!" He declared haughtily, a pout on his lips.

"Fine," Sawada sighed resignedly.

"Is everything all right, Sawada-kun?" Kuroko asked curiously as he stared at them.

The brunette shrieked at his sudden appearance while Lambo screamed as well.

"GHOST!" The boy cried out in fear. "Dame-Tsuna! There's a ghost! Make it go away!" Lambo had frozen in his place as he stared at Kuroko with extremely wide, almost white, eyes. "G-Gotta stay… calm…" The boy muttered under his breath as he brought his thumb to his mouth, his eyes tearing up.

Kuroko's eyes widened. His encounter with Reborn might have made him forget that children were easily intimidated by his low presence–

"W-Wait, Lambo–" Sawada suddenly stepped in with alarm evident in his voice.

Lambo then brought out a pink object from his afro almost mechanically.

"HIEEE!" Sawada screamed and backpedalled hastily at the sight of it. "Lambo put that down!"

None of them noticed that even Yamamoto had stood up at the sight of it.

The boy ignored him as he threw the pink object at Kuroko and the brunette.

"Stay _away_ from Lambo!"

Everything went bright and Kuroko heard panicked screams before his own world went dark.

So much for second day.

* * *

Watching the ruckus from the rooftop, two individuals could be seen standing near the fence. The first one was a tall brunette man dressed in a crisp white suit with a dark dress shirt underneath and a purple tie. While the other one was noticeably smaller in stature, barely reaching the man's knee.

"So," The brunette man whistled. "That's _his_ son, eh?"

"I wonder why he agreed to send the boy here in Namimori," The smaller one stated thoughtfully. "After all these years, we both know that he's not that careless. Not to mention, there's something wrong with that boy," He continued his speculation contemplatively.

The man sighed ruefully at this.

"Let me guess," He drawled with apparent dread. "You want me to look into this. You _know_ I hate dealing with men, Reborn," He grouched as his eyes narrowed.

"Of course," The reply was sly and the smirk could be heard from the squeaky voice. "Who doesn't?"

* * *

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**AN**: Now, before most of you explodes about the last revelation, I am going to **explain** certain things.

While Kuroko is aware of the mafia and his dad is previously involved with it, he has no actual idea as to what the mafia pertains. He only grew up moving around a lot but he didn't encounter anything related to the mafia. Second, knowing that his father is involved is one thing but really seeing it with his own eyes is another. Because, even if he knows about this, he still views his father as a normal person, albeit, a genius one. I repeat, this doesn't mean that Kuroko himself has previous dealings with the mafia. It just happens that one of his parents had.

Also, even if it was revealed to him that Tsuna is a mafia boss, since he didn't really have any personal dealings with that world, Kuroko can't bring himself to really believe this yet. He will be in a state of acceptance but truly doesn't realize just how true it is. Not just yet. Especially when Tsuna's younger than him. He isn't aware that children can actually be part of the mafia and he's still innocent regarding some things.

Another point of this story is that, if Kuroko hadn't been assigned to Namimori, the KnB series will continue as it is and he will eventually forget about his father's association to the mafia. But, since he was, it will obviously change some of the storylines.

I know that I haven't fully introduced Fujishima yet but I promise that she will make her debut in the next chapter. And Ihara isn't kicked out either but Kuroko is dealing with the school alone for the time being (which is only one day).

And, _no_, just because one of Kuroko's parents was involved with the mafia doesn't mean his friends are _directly_ involved as well (maybe through relatives or unknown family members that they didn't know to have some connection with the mafia). And, also no, Ogiwara doesn't have anything to do with it either.

Lastly, for those who are confused, this is happening after daily life arc and into Kokuyo arc. From what I learned, not really certain, Kokuyo arc happens around September and, with the two month length of the STA program, Kuroko will still be around by then.

Sorry if this chapter isn't as fun or humorous but I needed to get this story and plot going. Like in KHR and KnB, while there are moments of silliness, the important details will always be the grave news or issues.

Thank you for reading this, I'll try to update faster. _Leave a review when you can_.


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